The group behind a proposed hydroelectricity scheme west of the Sunshine Coast is urging the region’s residents and business owners to have their say during its development.
Queensland Hydro is seeking additional input from community members for the $14 billion 2000MW Borumba Pumped Hydro Project, which will require thousands of workers and inject millions of dollars into the local economy. It could generate power by 2030.
An expression of interest campaign is now open, asking people to put their hands up to be a member of one of three initiatives: the reformed Stakeholder Reference Group; one of the newly established focus groups; or the Community Benefits Panel.
The Community Benefits Panel was established after Queensland Hydro launched the draft Community Benefits Framework in February.
The final framework, due to be finalised this year, will underpin a community benefits package that includes: an initial $5 million to deliver local mountain bike and walking trails; progressing proposed plans to build a second stage to the Mary Valley Rail Trail; and supporting the development of an Imbil Master Plan.
Queensland Hydro CEO Kieran Cusack said earlier this year that community feedback could help deliver lasting, positive benefits.
“We care about our communities and stakeholders and want them to have a say in the process to shape our proposed projects,” he said.
“We’ll work closely and transparently with the community to honour the diverse perspectives and local knowledge they bring.
“We want to be good neighbours, and this means listening to local communities so we can co-design our projects with their input.
“The community told us they wanted to be more involved in the decisions that impact their community. We have listened and I’m pleased to announce we are providing even more opportunities for this to occur.”
The three initiatives
- The Stakeholder Reference Group is a consultative group that aims to capture stakeholder feedback on the project facilitating transparent, two-way community and stakeholder engagement. It is a core part of Queensland Hydro’s engagement with community, ensuring that stakeholder input informs the Project’s design, construction, and operation. SRG meetings provide a forum for discussions about wide ranging project topics such as environmental assessments, Project design, potential impacts, community benefits and more.
- While the SRG covers a broad range of topics and updates, focus groups are designed to capture community and stakeholder feedback through facilitated in-depth discussions on dedicated topics. While each focus group will have a membership that is tailored to the specific topic, Queensland Hydro will seek to distribute interests and skill sets across the focus groups to ensure a diversity of perspectives are shared.
- The Community Benefits Panel will include members independent of Queensland Hydro. The panel will review, assess, and recommend eligible applications for funding for endorsement by Queensland Hydro. This ensures that funding decisions are made for the community, by the community.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
Queensland Hydro stated that each group has an opportunity to provide a significant contribution to the development of the proposed Borumba Project, to help ensure long-term benefits for the community.
Residents, businesses, not-for-profit organisations and other local community members are invited to submit their EOI by Sunday, July 21, by completing an online registration form.
Individuals will be asked to detail their local connections and expertise to ensure a balanced range of ages, backgrounds and interests.
The EOIs will be assessed by representatives from Queensland Hydro and an independent third-party facilitator to ensure the selection process is equitable.
Successful applicants will be contacted directly by Queensland Hydro.
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