Powerlink’s Kamerunga Substation and the transmission line between the Kamerunga and Woree substations are critical components of the transmission network that supplies power to northern Cairns.
Both the substation and transmission line are now nearing the end of their technical service life and must be replaced to ensure a safe, secure and reliable electricity supply into the future.
Located 10km north-west of Cairns CBD, Kamerunga Substation was first established in the 1970s. Equipment at Kamerunga Substation is nearing the end of technical service life and will need to be replaced.
The Kamerunga to Woree 132 kilovolt (kV) transmission line provides the critical service of connecting the Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station to the transmission network and supplying power to northern Cairns. This line has been in operation since the 1960s, and a replacement line will need to be constructed.
Powerlink standards require an easement for an overhead 132kV transmission line to be around 30 to 40 metres wide. When the Kamerunga to Woree line was built, industry standards at the time required the easement to be 20m wide. As standards evolve over time, we now require a wider easement to enable the continued safe, secure and reliable operation of the transmission line.
To ensure continuous electricity supply to the area, we must maintain the existing line while constructing a new replacement transmission line. Where possible, we have positioned the recommended corridor for the new infrastructure adjacent to the existing line.
There has been significant residential development adjacent to the line between Redlynch to Woree meaning that we are unable to widen the existing easement through this area. Therefore, the decision has been made to underground this component of the line along a new corridor.
Powerlink has undertaken a range of activities to investigate the development of substation and transmission line replacement options.
In early 2019 discussions with relevant landholders commenced to inform the planning of a new corridor for the overhead transmission line from Kamerunga to Redlynch. Planning for the Kamerunga to Redlynch overhead line replacement project was paused in early 2020, to allow for additional investigations into options for the Redlynch to Woree line replacement and identification of requirements for a new substation.
Due to various constraints in the area, Powerlink has identified this project requires both an overhead and underground infrastructure solution. The replacement segments are:
Through detailed desktop and field investigations, Powerlink has developed a recommended corridor for further investigation and refinement.
The existing Kamerunga Substation, located in Caravonica, is nearing the end of its technical service life.
The recommended substation replacement site is a Powerlink-owned parcel of land off Cairns West Arterial Road, approximately 600m from the existing substation location. The parcel of land was purchased in 2021 to account for anticipated future transmission network requirements.
Kamerunga to Redlynch – overhead line
The existing Kamerunga Substation connects the Barron Gorge to Cairns transmission line from the Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station to the existing Kamerunga to Woree line.
The proposed overhead transmission corridor will include a connection to the Barron Gorge to Cairns line from a point at the existing Kamerunga Substation site to the new substation in Barron. The corridor will then proceed to the Redlynch masterplan area.
The new corridor is directly adjacent to and east of the existing line and is mainly located on primary industry and industrial land, as well as State and Local Government owned land.
Redlynch to Woree – underground cable
Significant residential development since the overhead transmission line was first established has meant the construction of a new overhead line from Redlynch to the Woree Substation is not feasible. Alternative overhead line routes would also pose significant impacts to residential areas.
As a result, Powerlink is proposing to transition from an overhead transmission line via a transition point at Redlynch to a 10.4km underground cable to Woree Substation.
The underground cable will follow a different corridor to the existing overhead line and will be largely located in Council and State-owned roads. No residential land or easements on private property will be required to construct the underground cable.
From Redlynch, the proposed underground corridor will run under Freshwater Creek and through Goomboora Park before continuing through roads, footpaths and verges to the Woree Substation.
A comprehensive Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) Assessment will be prepared to assess the social, environmental and economic impacts of the project. This report is expected to be released for public consultation in mid-2025.
The Final Corridor and Site Selection Report will be incorporated into the MID Assessment that will be put to the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. The MID process will provide planning approvals for delivery of the new substation and transmission line as a single program of works.
The process of identifying the transmission corridor requires consideration of multiple social, economic and environmental factors including tenure and zoning, future land use, environment, heritage values, economic, traffic and community impacts, existing infrastructure, hydrology and network reliability.
Since releasing the Draft Corridor and Site Selection Report in September 2024, further detailed studies have been underway to support finalisation of the corridor and to meet our statutory requirements.
The results of these investigations will form part of the MID Assessment that will be submitted as part of the MID application.
In October 2024, Powerlink ran several community information drop-in sessions to seek feedback from landholders, Traditional Owner groups, the community and other key stakeholders on the project’s Draft Corridor and Site Selection Report.
We appreciated the opportunity to hear feedback and gain insights on the recommended corridor. The main areas of feedback received included:
We are in the process of finalising our investigations and where appropriate, feedback has been used to inform the final corridor.
The final corridor will be documented in our Final Corridor and Site Selection Report that we expect to release in mid-2025.
The Draft Corridor and Site Selection Report is available on this project webpage under the ‘Resources’ header.
To view the Kamerunga to Woree proposed corridor, please use our interactive mapping tool below.
Feedback on the Draft Corridor and Site Selection Report closed on 30 October 2024.
If you missed the opportunity to ‘have your say’ on the report, feedback on the project is still welcome and can be provided via our project email and contact number.
As the project progresses, additional information sessions will be held, with details of the sessions to be shared on this webpage and other communication channels.
Powerlink will be carrying out a program of geotechnical investigations at around 67 sites along the 10.3km-long underground cable corridor and will help inform the location of the cable within the proposed corridor.
The works will involve either excavation or drilling at each site. The bulk of investigations will be completed through excavation of trenches at specific points along the corridor and will mostly remain within roadways.
These works will require changes to local traffic including lane closures, reduced speed limits and some temporary loss of street parking. Planning to finalise the location of the investigation sites and the timing of the works is underway with on-ground activities anticipated to commence in Q3 2025.
Targeted engagement with nearby residents and community members along the planned works areas will be carried out before activities commence. We will also be door-knocking impacted residents near work sites to flag the upcoming activities and advise of any potential impacts.
Geotechnical investigations along the proposed overhead corridor will be discussed and managed in conjunction with landholder requirements.
We appreciate the patience and understanding from nearby residents when these future investigations are carried out and are focused on delivering our activities with as little disruption as possible to local residents and the wider community.
Far North
Transmission Lines
Easement
Extended Maintenance
In Progress
To view the Kamerunga to Woree proposed corridor and provide feedback please use our interactive mapping tool.
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