A farming family north-west of Brisbane have spoken out about CSG extraction on their land, telling the ABC that despite initial hardships, it has provided them with significant financial support and opportunities. Origin Energy currently operate forty CSG wells and two water stations scattered across Peter and Nikki Thompson’s agricultural land. The recent death of anti-CSG campaigner and farmer George […]
Land access
Farmers, oil and gas industry break bread
Jessica Dickers Gas, Land access, News, Policy, Stakeholder Engagement 0The oil and gas industries will work closely with landowners in a new project agreement aimed at increasing cooperation between the agricultural and petroleum sectors in WA. The agreement was developed by a joint committee chaired by former WA Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader Hendy Cowan. It has been endorsed by the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA), […]
New reservoir for Queensland
Jessica Dickers Land access, News, Projects, Safety and Training, Stakeholder Engagement, Water 0The Queensland Government has invested more than $772, 000 in a new reservoir for Kuranda. The reservoir will provide safe drinking water for the Kuranda community, as the existing water facility has a capacity of less than 50 per cent of what is needed for residents. Minister for State Development, Dr Anthony Lynham, said the new reservoir would be a […]
Innovative approach to biosecurity around powerlines
Jessica Dickers Electricity, Land access, Powerlines, Projects 0The Yuleba North to Blythdale Transmission Line Project in south-west Queensland has introduced several innovative measures for managing the biosecurity concerns of landholders. The innovative project has used techniques, including heli-stringing to run the powerline between towers. In addition to this, one of the unique features of this project has been the ongoing engagement with landholders, as the transmission line […]
Electricity network upgrade for East Gippsland
Jessica Dickers Electricity, Land access, Maintenance, News 0AusNet Services is undertaking a large-scale maintenance program on power lines connecting Bairnsdale to Mallacoota (VIC). The shutdowns will give more than 150 line workers safe access to complete almost 400 individual maintenance tasks – a more customer-friendly alternative than multiple weekly shutdowns to finish the critical work before bushfire season. John Wills, AusNet Services’ Customer Support Team Manager in […]
Can NEGI rescue the east coast?
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Demand management, Gas, Land access, Pipelines, Projects 0The Northern Territory Government has granted major project status to the development of a gas pipeline connecting the Northern Territory to the east coast gas market. With the project spanning three states and affecting traditional landowners, the land access negotiations that will be required before this project can even begin will be immense. With a major gas shortage imminent across […]
What’s over the horizon for pipeliners?
Laura Harvey Coal seam gas, Features, Gas, Land access, Pipelines, Projects, Utility location, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 1It’s been a bountiful decade in the gas pipeline construction game, as the CSG-LNG industry in Queensland provided contractors with a steady stream of geographically concentrated work. Now that these projects are up and running, we ask: where to now for pipeliners? After an unprecedented construction boom in recent years, now that the Queensland LNG industry is effectively up and running, many […]
The Australian Senate’s Environment and Communications Committee has rejected the Greens’ bill to ban hydraulic fracturing and Commonwealth intervention into State regulation of land access. APPEA CEO, Malcolm Roberts, has welcomed the decision stating that, “The gas industry understands that access to private land is a sensitive issue. The industry operates under rigorous State regulation which requires agreements to be […]
Gladstone Ports Corporation has concluded Port Services Agreements (PSAs) with their LNG exporters, paving the way for a ramp up of LNG shipments from Curtis Island off Central Queensland. QLD Treasurer, Curtis Pitt, said PSAs had been negotiated with Queensland Curtis LNG, Australian Pacific LNG and Gladstone LNG. “These agreements are an important milestone in the growth of Queensland’s LNG […]
Water utilities improving customer engagement
Utility Journalist Land access, News, Retail, Sponsored Editorial, Water 0Managing water resources in Australia, the world’s driest continent, has always been a challenge. Decades of policy work and the successful implementation of water trading schemes have created a $2.4 billion national industry that balances the water needs of residential, commercial and agricultural consumers. Innovations such as the H2OX water exchange online trading platform reflect the government’s long-standing focus on […]
Ergon partners with Mitsubishi Motors
Utility Journalist Company news, Electricity, Land access, Renewable Energy 0Ergon Energy and Mitsubishi Motors Australia have announced a partnership that will see eight electric vehicles (EVs) join the regional electricity distributor’s passenger fleet this year. The company is also finalising a lease offer to employees that could see up to a further 100 EVs taken on for private use later in the year. Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety […]
Meter replacements in the Kimberley
Utility Journalist Electricity, Land access, Maintenance, News 0Horizon Power will soon begin replacing electricity meters at customers’ premises in the Kimberley. The rollout of more than 7,500 advanced meters in Port Hedland and other smaller Pilbara towns since July has been very successful, with more than 95 per cent of customers surveyed reporting a courteous and professional service. The meter exchange project is funded by the State […]
Elegant solution for SA water main
Utility Journalist Land access, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0SA Water will work closely with Adelaide City Council and Adelaide Botanic Gardens to replace 2.2km of the Hackney Road trunk water main. Works will begin in October 2015. “SA Water and our contractor have collaborated with government agencies and local stakeholders in planning the alignment route,” said Commercial & Business Development General Manager, Jim McGuire. “To avoid works on […]
New guiding principles which set out how the onshore oil and gas industry should operate in the Northern Territory have recently been released. NT Chief Minister, Adam Giles has said that Northern Territory gas had the potential to unlock significant economic benefits for Territorians. “It is estimated the Northern Territory has more than 200 trillion cubic feet of unconventional gas […]
GasFields has urged local government leaders from across regional Queensland to keep informed about the impacts and opportunities for their communities from the onshore gas industry. GasFields Commissioner, John Cotter made the call during his address to delegates at the recent Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) Bush Council’s conference in St George. Mr Cotter highlighted the contribution of both […]
Cross-river tunnel underway in QLD
Utility Journalist Features, Land access, News, Pipelines, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Queensland Urban Utilities has begun site preparation works for a new $17 million cross-river pipeline from Jindalee to Kenmore. The major project, which is due to start this month, will involve building twin water and sewer mains inside a tunnel, 10m beneath the Brisbane River. Queensland Urban Utilities spokesperson, Michelle Cull, said the new pipeline would replace infrastructure damaged during […]
Tender: flood warning gauge upgrade
Utility Journalist Land access, News, Open tenders and opportunities 0The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is seeking tenders for the Provision of Project Management Services for the Event Reporting Radio Telemetry System (ERRTS) Extension Project. A network of approximately 800 Victorian river height and rainfall monitoring sites is maintained through the Regional Water Monitoring Partnerships (RWMP) program. Some of these sites are used to collect real time […]
by Michelle Goldsmith, Utility Associate Editor nbn has finalised a number of new construction contracts with its delivery partners to extend the National Broadband Network’s fixed-line footprint to another 4 million premises. These contracts are based on a revised Multi-technology Integrated Master Agreement, involving simplified performance-based contracts intended to reduce administrative overheads, enhance competition, enable flexibility and incentivise a faster, […]
Aerial surveys to unlock Pilbara potential
Utility Journalist Drones, Features, Land access, Maintenance, News, Water 0Aerial surveys are underway in the Pilbara (WA) in order to assess the potential and quality of Australia’s largest water source. The surveys will also help to quantify the potential of the Canning Basin and how it can potentially be used for the Pilbara’s growth. WA Water Minister and Acting Regional Development Minister, Mia Davies, said the airborne electromagnetic survey […]
Electric vehicle highway in sight
Utility Journalist Electricity, Land access, News, Renewable Energy, Solar 0Ergon Energy is working closely with government and industry to create an electric vehicle (EV) highway with Australia’s first solar-powered charging station in Townsville (QLD). With new analysis commissioned by the Energy Supply Association of Australia (esaa), released recently that found there could be almost 1 million electric and natural gas vehicles on our roads by 2025, Queensland is EV […]
Reaping the benefits of a true mobility solution
Utility Journalist Asset management, Land access, Maintenance, Sponsored Editorial 0Mobile workforce management is a challenge, and even more so for the utility industry where field services often involve managing assets and data, as well as scheduling resources over wide geographic areas. The right mobility solution will not only help manage this challenge, but can actually add value to an organisation. The key to a successful mobility system is that it […]
According to the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association National Policy Manager, Steve Davies, two current inquiries into the operation of the gas market must avoid covering old ground and present new solutions in their recommendations. Speaking at the Queensland Power and Gas Forum 2015, Mr Davies said it was often observed that gas market reform moved slowly, but this was […]
Trenchless technologies play a major role in the installation and rehabilitation of the buried assets that form our water networks. Here, we’ve gathered a group of leaders within the water industry who are proudly ‘team trenchless’ – the people that are championing the benefits of trenchless technologies, and specifying their use on major projects around the country. If you’re not […]
Taking the initiative to recycle solar cells
Utility Journalist Electricity, Land access, News, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainability 0Solar system manufacturer Canadian Solar Australia has entered into a partnership with Reclaim PV Recycling from South Australia to reduce waste by recycling old or damaged solar panels. It is hoped that this initiative will become standard practice for all PV manufacturers operating in Australia to tackle the PV waste management challenge facing the solar industry. Canadian Solar will promote […]
Dubbo SPS to receive multimillion dollar upgrade
Utility Journalist Civil Construction, Land access, News, Pumps, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0The Erskine Street Sewage Pump Station in Dubbo (NSW) will soon receive its first upgrade since 1985. The $7.3 million upgrade will commence in August to address operational, environmental, safety and high maintenance requirements for this essential infrastructure. Chair of the Works and Services Committee Councillor Lyn Griffiths said the pump station, which is located at the corner of Darling […]
NBN network goes bush
Utility Journalist Civil Construction, Features, Land access, News, Telecommunications 0The NBN will soon be delivered to rural and regional Australia to help close the digital divide and deliver new opportunities. The Fixed Wireless Broadband: A Global Comparison report found that the NBN fixed wireless service is world leading when compared to the performance of 21 overseas wireless broadband providers. It found Australians connected to the NBN fixed wireless network […]
Revolutionary battery technology tender awarded
Utility Journalist Electricity, Land access, News, Solar 0Ergon has awarded a global provider of equipment and services for electric power systems to provide new Grid Utility Support Systems (GUSS) units to Australia. S&C Electric Company has won the Ergon tender and will provide Australia with 20 GUSS units. GUSS works by charging batteries overnight when electricity use is at its lowest and discharging them during the day […]
Smart Plan for QLD solar
Utility Journalist Electricity, Land access, News, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainability 0AGL Energy Limited has introduced a solar Smart Plan for Queensland customers. The new plan offers free installation of 3kW solar systems with payment only required for the solar energy consumed from the panels, rather than the energy produced from the panels. Available from 1 July, AGL’s solar Smart Plan has zero upfront costs and it is estimated customers could […]
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released its yearly report card on the state of competition in retail energy markets. The report finds that consumers are seeing greater choice and opportunities to save on their energy costs as competition evolves over time. The 2015 Retail Competition Review assessed retail energy competition in each state and territory in the National […]
Drones for aquatic weed treatment
Utility Journalist Drones, Land access, Maintenance, News, Water 0A trial of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being undertaken by Seqwater for the management of aquatic weeds on its lakes. The innovative approach to treating floating aquatic weeds was initially trialled at Somerset Dam last month. Seqwater Chief Executive Officer, Peter Dennis, said the trial sites were selected based on difficulty to access the weed infestations by boat […]
Balancing act: future-proofing Australia’s electricity network
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