The funding will deliver critical road upgrades to support the safer movement of oversize and overmass vehicles transporting components for wind and solar projects, helping drive the renewable energy transition in regional NSW.
Regional communities are at the centre of the renewable energy transition, with areas like the Central-West Orana playing a critical role as the powerhouse of the state’s future energy system.
The investment recognises that as these regions drive the transition, they must also be backed with the infrastructure to support their communities, industries and future growth. The funding will be shared across three of the five designated Renewable Energy Zones (REZ):
- $50 million for Central – West Orana REZ for safety and capacity upgrades primarily along the Golden Highway, as well as between the Port of Newcastle and the Central West
- $65 million for South – West REZ to start work on six intersection upgrades to allow components to be moved through the western Riverina region between the Dinawan and the Buronga substations)
- $68.2 million for New England REZ to begin upgrades at Rix’s Creek Bridge and Liddell Interchange, plan for safety and capacity upgrades between Muswellbrook and Armidale and develop an OSOM route around Tamworth on the northern end.
Design work is already underway for critical upgrades on the Sturt and New England highways and started delivery of town entry safety treatments on the Golden Highway at Dubbo, Dunedoo, Jerrys Plains Denman and Sandy Hollow.
In coming months, Transport for NSW will complete community consultation and provide more information and expected timelines as the program develops, while fast tracking project concept design so that this vital road work can move ahead quickly.
Extensive planning is already underway to minimise impacts on local communities and road users, with oversize and overmass movements carefully coordinated – typically departing ports at night and travelling along designated Renewable Energy Zone routes under pilot or escort where required.
The previous green energy joint funding commitment of $128.5 million has crews already working to upgrade 19 areas along the Central-West Orana REZ route.
These upgrades and road treatments are at identified pinch points and vary from road widening, relocating traffic signs, installing new turn lanes and extending drainage and culverts.
With this new $183.2 million in funding, there is a total of $216.9 million available ($211.9 million NSW Government funding, $5 million Australian Government funding) for REZ road upgrades across regional NSW.
This includes $10 million for the development of infrastructure upgrades associated with the Central- West Orana REZ project, which is funded 50/ 50 with the NSW and Federal governments, and $23.7 million to deliver an overtaking lane west of Merriwa.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.