Guy Barnett,Minister for Energy
With Cattle Hill Wind Farm joining the state energy grid today, Tasmania is taking another step towards becoming the renewable energy battery of the nation.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is delivering our long term plan to build a stronger economy and create jobs, and our energy developments are a significant part of this future.
Cattle Hill Wind Farm will produce enough clean renewable energy to power approximately 63,500 Tasmanian homes, while also supporting the Government’s Tasmania-First Energy policy to reach 100 per cent self-sufficiency in renewables.
Up to 150 jobs were created during construction, with up to 10 ongoing jobs to manage the farm’s operations.
Tasmanian businesses have been engaged with the project since its inception, including Hobart based Hazell Bros, which undertook the full civil and electrical works for the project, and Launceston based company Gradco, which undertook over $10 million of road upgrades in the Central Highlands region.
This development is an example of the type of renewable energy initiatives that will be unlocked following yesterday’s launch of the Project Marinus business case assessment, which confirmed that a 1,500 megawatt Bass Strait interconnector is technically feasible and commercially viable.
Renewable energy is one of Tasmania’s greatest economic opportunities and this report shows our nationally significant Marinus and Battery of the Nation projects are set to create thousands of new jobs and inject $7.1 billion into the Tasmanian economy over the coming years.
Tasmania has what the rest of the nation needs, and the Government is committed to using this advantage to ensure all Tasmanians continue to see low cost, reliable and clean energy in their homes and businesses.
Importantly, Tasmanians come first, and our Tasmania First Energy policy is focused on delivering Tasmanian residents and businesses the lowest regulated electricity prices in the nation and to reach 100 per cent self-sufficiency in renewables by 2022.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is committed to renewable energy investment in Tasmania, particularly in regional areas, to assist create thousands of jobs and contribute to the ongoing downward pressure on power prices.
