At a glance:
- EnergyConnect will contribute to Australia's energy transition to renewables and decarbonisation targets
- WSP collaborated with Transgrid in delivering a range of services during the environmental assessment, planning and approvals phase
- The project led the establishment of the largest Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement in NSW.
Transgrid and ElectraNet are together working to deliver a new 900-kilometre energy interconnector transmission line from Robertstown, South Australia to Wagga Wagga, NSW with an added connection to Red Cliffs in north-west Victoria. The interconnector, a key element of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan, is known as EnergyConnect.
The EnergyConnect transmission line forms a vital link between New South Wales (NSW), South Australia and Victoria, and will assist in transporting energy from the South-West Renewable Energy Zone to major demand centres.
EnergyConnect will save NSW customers AUD$180M a year and create 1,500 new construction jobs. It will provide new opportunities for a wide range of businesses, and deliver around $4 billion in economic benefits to NSW, much of it to regional communities.
EnergyConnect will help to accelerate Australia’s energy transition by connecting customers with more renewable generation and help to abate an estimated one million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, a significant contribution to meeting Australia’s climate change targets.
Given the size of the EnergyConnect project, it has been broken into four components with respect to planning approvals – two components in NSW (Western and Eastern), one in Victoria and one in South Australia. WSP has worked with Transgrid on both the NSW and the Victorian components of the project including route selection, environmental impact assessment, planning approvals and support to the regulatory process.
Identifying environmental constraints and opportunities to enable planning approvals
Working closely with the Transgrid project team, WSP has delivered a range of services during the environmental assessment, planning and approvals phase through the NSW (Western), NSW (Eastern) and Victorian sections of the project.
To date, these services have included:
- Options studies and route alignment assessments
- Preparation of two Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for both the NSW Western component and NSW Eastern component including digitised versions via our proprietary Online Community Portal. This service also included coordination of a host of in-house specialist services and external specialist teams such as:
- Biodiversity
- Social impact assessment
- Traffic, transport and access
- Air quality
- Noise and vibration
- Contaminated land management
- Hydrology, flooding and surface water
- Groundwater
- Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage
- Landscape and visual
- Agricultural lands
- Bushfire hazards
- Economic Assessment
- Preparation of EPBC referral applications for submission to the Commonwealth DAWE for both NSW (Western) and NSW (Eastern) components
- Environmental constraints identification and impact assessments for the Victorian component required to support a planning permit application
- Delivery of complex and significant biodiversity offset strategies and packages
- Regulatory stakeholder engagement at local, state and federal government levels.
Largest Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement in NSW
EnergyConnect spans hundreds of kilometres across two states, requiring detailed biodiversity assessments to guide corridor alignment and protect threatened species.
Partnering with Transgrid, WSP helped deliver the largest-ever Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement in NSW at Singorimbah, covering 8,700 hectares and increasing local conservation by 36%. The site adjoins Oolambeyan National Park and safeguards unique grasslands and red clay habitats that support critically endangered species like the Plains-wanderer.
Our ecological experts undertook more than 18 months of seasonal studies to understand biodiversity, predict project impacts, and identify mitigation measures. These assessments informed corridor alignment for both NSW projects, ensuring sensitive areas were avoided.
By permanently protecting threatened flora and fauna, Singorimbah sets a new benchmark in environmental management by preserving six threatened plant species, endangered woodland communities, and creating cultural and employment opportunities for Traditional Custodians.
