Big girders make way for little gliders

A colony of the world’s smallest arboreal gliders is among the native animals that have been relocated during the building of new $26 million high-voltage powerlines from Maryborough to Nikenbah.

Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said 11 feather-tailed gliders were discovered during clearing and special boxes were made to give the gliders a new home.

“There are two winners out of this project. The gliders have adjusted well to their new digs and the Fraser Coast community will soon have triple the power at their disposal,” Mr Wilson said.

Minister Wilson said the Ergon Energy project had reached a milestone with all of the poles now in place and work underway to string the powerlines between them.

“I’d like to commend Ergon for the care they have taken during the project, especially the efforts they put in to protect the native wildlife,” he said.

Ergon Energy provided special customised nest boxes for the gliders, adjacent to the area where they were discovered.

Other wildlife captured and relocated included a number of sugar gliders, black snakes, carpet pythons, European bees’ nests, possums and micro bats.

Minister Wilson said the power line was being built from the Maryborough bulk supply point to Nikenbah, which would ultimately become a separate bulk supply point for Hervey Bay.

Member for Hervey Bay, Andrew McNamara, said a tripling of electricity capacity was welcome news for the local community.

“The capacity of the Maryborough bulk supply point, which supplies power to around 40,000 homes and businesses on the Fraser Coast will be tripled, at a cost of around $12 million,” Mr McNamara said.

“This is about looking beyond the horizon and planning for the future. We’re planning and building now to meet the increased demand for power in our fast-growing region,” he said.

“Our community will have a more secure and reliable electricity supply to take them well into the future,” he said.

Mr McNamara said the Nikenbah line was a vital component in Ergon’s future plans for the region.

“It will be energised initially at 66,000 volts and upgraded to 132,000 volts when the Nikenbah substation is built. That’s a lot of extra power for the Fraser Coast,” he said.

Media Inquiries: Ellen McIntyre 3225 1819