ANDRE LEU
📍 Power scheme proposes to clear World Heritage Daintree Rainforest
📍The millions of dollars this will cost is better spent on standalone solar and battery systems
The proposed power grid for north of the Daintree intends to run the cable underground on an unformed Douglas Shire Council road reserve. This road reserve is covered with kilometres of high-value rainforest along its route. Laying the underground cable will require clearing the World Heritage-listed rainforest along this reserve as well as requiring extensive earthworks due to the very steep terrain so the cable laying machinery can get access.
The road reserve was created around 1899 however was never used. In 1954 the Douglas Shire Council started the construction of the current road over the Alexandra Range to Baileys Creek. They had use a different route as the road reserve was too steep and impractical to use. Consequently the road reserve has remained as lines on a map.
As can seen from the image above, this proposed route goes through kilometres of high value World Heritage-listed rainforest that would need to be cleared. The steep terrain will require extensive earthworks so that machinery can be operated safely without tipping over. This clearing of irreplaceable high conservation value biodiversity will leave a massive scar through the Daintree Rainforest.
The cost of the clearing, massive earthworks and laying kilometres of cable will be millions of dollars. This prohibitive cost of clearing and earthworks would need to be budgeted for in the ‘business plan’ for the project. That cost in itself, even without the environmental destruction being taken into consideration, is entirely unsustainable. The money would be better used as Federal Government grants to assist the existing residents to upgrade their standalone solar and battery systems. This would ensure that the overwhelming majority of residents would be able to meet their power needs all year without using back-up generators.
[FEATURED IMAGE credit Google Images]
ADDENDUM
Some of the comments by the pro-development brigade are a gross misrepresentation of the truth. They are not direct drilling the cable for kilometres under the Alexandra Range. The proposed direct drilling is only for the 300 metres Wet Tropics World Heritage section in the map above. Kilometres of road reserve through the high diversity Daintree rainforest in the National Park leading up to this section will need to be cleared and have extensive earthworks for machinery to lay the cable underground along the reserve and to get the drilling machinery up the very steep slopes to the Wet Tropics World Heritage section to bore the hole under it.
Hugh, unfortunately has no idea of how business or design and engineering companies work in the financial world. This project will qualify under the rules set out by the ATO as a R&D (research and development) project. That is a 38c in every dollar in non refundable tax offsets to the private companies that are involved. Add that to the massive federal rebates and grants that will be available under the proposed new and pre-existing legislation for renewables and this project will be well under 50% true cost of what media and know-all no nothing pessimistic locals are sprouting off about. This doesn’t even take into account the social and skills benefits to our region through employment and upskilling of members in our community to construct and maintain this infrastructure. Private enterprise doesn’t get involved in something that doesn’t add up financially. It’s only projects like Wangetti trail fully funded by government that end up as a negative return on investment. There will need to be significant private investment in the Daintree power project. How much private investment has been put into the $100m Wangetti trail…. $0. What will be the ongoing cost to the tax and rate payers for the maintenance of the Wangetti trail? Lots! What will be the cost to the tax and rate payers of maintaining the Daintree micro grid…. $0. If you are concerned about government spending Hugh then get on the attack of what is an issue in the region. I don’t believe you really care about government spending or it’s viability, so stop telling lies and explain your true reasons and beliefs behind the constant attack, on what is a great proposal for protecting our environment in the long term for future generations.
FACT check. Wilderness lodge what’s 7 rooms. It’s a boutique micro business. With minimal employees. So yes it is viable to operate that type of business on a RAPS system.