Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has applauded the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility’s announcement (NAIF) today that it will provide $630 million to start the Kidston Pumped-Hydro Storage project but says he will believe it when the money has been transferred.

“We’ve had numerous statements made and nothing has happened out of the NAIF. So whilst we are tremendously pleased that the project has come through, people must understand until the money leaves the Facility and the hard hats are on, it’s just another announcement,” Mr Katter said.

In late 2017, Mr Katter toured with then Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Anthony Albanese to show him the ‘Triangle of Power’ which featured the Kidston project as one of the three projects that are key to reducing the cost of electricity in Australia.

“The Kidston Pump Hydro project, 270km north-west of Townsville, is essential to providing reliable power to the north, but we also need to invest in the Hell’s Gates proper and the Tully Realignment, which will firm up base load and peak load power. Together they can provide a very reliable peak load,” Mr Katter said.

“At the moment, we bring the power up from Gladstone and lose 20 per cent in the process.

“So it’s very good that they have done something. Good from the point of view that there will be enough base load power on the northern grid but it is pump storage which isn’t very efficient.”

Mr Katter said the Tully Hydro Realignment project in addition to Kidston will meet the north’s peak load power requirements and that Hell’s Gates Dam, the Hughenden Big Kennedy Wind Farm and the proposed dam on the Upper Mitchell River will supply North Queensland’s base load requirements with zero emissions.

“All we need is a little bit of an enlightened Government to provide cheap, reliable electricity for forever,” he said.

“Solar panels are very much not forever. They need to be washed down every nine days and their lifespan is not much more than 20 years and there is enormous amount of CO2 Emission in the creation of solar panels.”

—ENDS—

Image: Bob Katter with Simon Kidston and then Shadow Minister Anthony Albanese on a tour of the site – September 2017. Photo credit: Anne Pleash.