Powerlink has published a Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR) to maintain reliability of supply to Townsville South.
The Townsville South Substation is located approximately 11 kilometres south-east of the Townsville central business district and is a major injection point into the Ergon Energy distribution network for southern and eastern Townsville.
The primary switchgear at Townsville South Substation – the equipment through which the electrical power passes – has been identified as being at risk of premature failure or is at the end of its technical service life with identified defects and obsolescence issues. Both factors increase the risk to supply in the Townsville area.
In December 2025 Powerlink published a Project Specification Consultation Report (PSCR) outlining Powerlink’s proposal to address the risks at Townsville South.
There were no submissions received in response to the PSCR, which were due by 10 April 2026. As a result, no additional credible options that could deliver a material market benefit have been identified and the outcomes of the economic analysis contained in the PACR remain unchanged from those published in the PSCR.
The PACR recommends undertaking a single stage replacement utilising dead tank circuit breakers by December 2027. The indicative capital cost of the RIT-T project for the preferred option is $20.23 million in 2025 prices.
In the context of engagement activities with customers and the general community, Powerlink has assessed this RIT-T project as ‘minor’ on the RIT-T stakeholder engagement matrix.
A copy of the PACR and PSCR is available below: