19 business, organisations and community representatives have joined together to form the stakeholder group for the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project.
The 19 representatives will form the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Stakeholder Reference Group and help steer the future of the proposed hydro project.
Queensland Energy Minister, Mick de Brenni, said the pumped hydro project was key to unlocking the state’s clean energy transformation by storing renewable electricity from solar and wind and using it to power industry and jobs.
Mr de Brenni said the pumped hydroelectricity scheme near Imbil west of Gympie would create 2,000 construction jobs but the project had to stack up for locals.
“For this project to be a success, before it can power homes, communities and industries we need to hear from locals who know their land, their communities, their environment and their industries the best,” Mr de Brenni said.
“The Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Stakeholder Reference Group will be critical to achieving outcomes for the community and Queensland, including on issues that have emerged as fundamental to building social licence for the project – that there are no impacts to environmental low flows, there is no off-river storage infrastructure on the Mary River, the economic viability of the project and a lasting community legacy.”
Representatives include:
- Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee
- Sunshine Coast Environment Council
- Wide Bay Burnett Environmental Council
- Queensland Conservation Council
- Gympie District Beef Liaison Group
- Gympie Chamber of Commerce
- Regional Development Australia – Wide Bay Burnett
- Lake Borumba Fish Stocking Association
- Imbil Rural Watch
- Mary Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Queensland Council of Unions
The Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Reference Group will meet quarterly, with the first meeting held on 21 April 2022.
The group complements a wider program of stakeholder engagement which also includes community information sessions and online material.
More information and the opportunity to get involved can be found here.
