Horizon Power invited relevant parties to submit feedback on its proposal to expand the North-West Interconnected Systems (NWIS) energy network by connecting the Dampier Substation and the Burrup Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) with an approximately 7km long 132kV overhead transmission line.
The Burrup SIA is not currently connected via transmission infrastructure to the NWIS.
The project is located on Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula) in Western Australia, approximately 1.5km east of the Dampier township. Murujuga and its surrounds supports extensive Aboriginal cultural heritage sites, with the wider Dampier Archipelago region known to have one of Australia’s greatest collections of rock art (petroglyphs).
Horizon Power said that it has worked with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) in undertaking detailed Aboriginal cultural heritage site avoidance surveys to progress the transmission route design avoiding impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.
The company also noted that the survey reports will not be made publicly available due to cultural sensitivity reasons and are confidential. Horizon Power is committed to avoiding direct impact to known Aboriginal cultural heritage and will have Aboriginal heritage monitors on site during clearing.
Referred under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, the project was determined to be a ‘controlled action’ with the following controlling provisions: National Heritage places (sections 15B and 15C), listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) and listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A).
A delegate for the Minister for the Environment and Water has also decided that the action must be assessed by preliminary documentation under section 87 of the EPBC Act.
Horizon Power has prepared the preliminary documentation and, as required under sections 95A(3) and (4) of the EPBC Act, has invited interested parties to submit comments until 19 March 2024.
