The Future Land Use and Enabling Works project for Liddell Power Station has been approved by the NSW Government, which will see the former power station demolished, remediated and transformed for future industrial land uses.
The approval of the State Significant Development, south of Muswellbrook, will mean more jobs and industrial opportunities for the Upper Hunter.
Spanning around 143 hectares, the Future Land Use and Enabling Works project is expected to generate more than $260 million in Capital Investment Value (CIV) for the Upper Hunter Region as well as 100 full time equivalent jobs.
“With up to 100 jobs generated during construction and operation, this project will benefit the local economy, local communities and provide indirect benefits to local services throughout the life of the project,” said minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully.
“This project is one of many that is part of the state’s growing renewable energy infrastructure that plays a vital role in powering our economy for generations to come.”
Remediation works will include:
- Demolition of the power station.
- Construction and operation of a borrow pit for capping, civil works and recontouring of the site.
- Recontouring and revegetation of the site.
- Construction and operation of a landfill for the disposal of asbestos contaminated soil and material from demolished infrastructure.
In 2023, the Liddell Power Station came to the end of its technical life and was formally closed, with the proponent AGL committing to remediate the site for a cleaner future.
Following the assessment from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) the approval has strict conditions of consent to manage biodiversity, water and traffic impacts.
Works are now expected to commence within the next 3 months and are expected to continue over the next ten years.
The Upper Hunter has long been an industrial powerhouse and this approval is only the most recent planning determination that indicates a broader Government support for the Upper Hunter to remain an industrial centre.
The approval also comes shortly after the Minns Government launched its Industrial Lands Action Plan (PDF 977.79KB) which sets out a new approach to plan, secure, and manage the supply of industrial lands to deliver new jobs, drive investment and support local economies.
The Minns Labor Government will continue to support robust investment and job opportunities in regional NSW.
For more information, visit the web page on the Liddell Future Land Use and Enabling Works Project.
Project layout and disturbance areas of the Liddell Future Land Use and Enabling Works Project.