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CopperString (2032) Project

Project overview*

EIS statusApproved with conditions
Description Approximately 1,000 kilometres of high-voltage overhead electricity transmission lines connecting the North West Minerals Province to the national electricity market.
Proponent Queensland Electricity Transmission Corporation (T/a Powerlink Queensland)
Location/s The transmission line would run between Townsville and Mt Isa with a southern connection running from Dajarra Road Substation to the Selwyn Substation, connecting further south to the Woodya Substation View map.
Local government/s
  • Mount Isa City Council
  • Cloncurry Shire Council
  • McKinlay Shire Council
  • Richmond Shire Council
  • Burdekin Shire Council
  • Charters Towers Regional Council
  • Flinders Shire Council
Investment $5 billion
Key features
  • 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from just south of Townsville to Hughenden
  • 330kV transmission line from Hughenden to Cloncurry
  • 220kV transmission line from Cloncurry to Mount Isa
  • up to six new substation sites
  • ancillary infrastructure such as worker accommodation camps.
Jobs
  • up to 750 full time equivalent (FTE) construction jobs
  • 30 FTE operational jobs

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Project changes

Since the publication of the Coordinator-General's report on the environmental impact statement (EIS) in 2022, the proponent has applied for changes to the CopperString project.

Read more about the project changes.

Have your say

In September 2022, the Coordinator-General published a report on the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the CopperString Project, determining that the project could proceed subject to conditions.

Powerlink Queensland recently submitted an application for project change to the Hughenden workers accommodation camp to the Coordinator-General.

The Coordinator-General has released the application for public and government agency comment.

You are invited to make a submission on the application, including the potential environmental impacts of the proposed change.

The Coordinator-General will consider your submission when assessing the project change application.

Submissions close on Friday 12 April 2024.

Make a submission on the project change application.

Environmental impact statement (EIS) process

DateActivity
11 November 2022Delegate for Australian Minister for the Environment and Water approval of controlled action ‘CopperString Transmission Line Project’ (EPBC 2019/8416) subject to conditions.
28 September 2022

Coordinator-General’s report on the EIS (PDF icon 16 MB) released.

Updated draft biodiversity offset management strategy (August 2022) (PDF icon 23 MB)  provided since final EIS to inform evaluation report on the EIS.

28 February 2022

The Coordinator-General accepted the draft EIS and the revised draft EIS as the final EIS.

Final EIS, including appendices.

12 January 2022 The proponent lodged an updated revised draft EIS
12 October 2021 The proponent lodged a revised draft EIS.
17 June 2021 Additional information for the EIS requested by the Coordinator-General.
23 February 2021 Coordinator-General stated a new project declaration lapse date of 4 March 2022.
21 December 2020 to 12 February 2021

Draft EIS on public consultation.

Draft EIS, including appendices.

4 September 2019 Terms of reference for an EIS (PDF icon 693 KB) released.
8 July to 2 August 2019 Draft terms of reference (PDF icon 647 KB) for EIS public consultation.
14 May 2019 Delegate for the Australian Minister for the Environment decided that the project is a 'controlled action'
26 April 2019 Gazettal of 'coordinated project' declaration (PDF icon 246 KB).
February 2019 Initial advice statement submitted (PDF icon 7.3 MB) submitted.

Read more about the EIS process.

Last updated: 14 Mar 2024