The project involves constructing a new, 87km long, double circuit 275kV transmission line between Calvale Substation (near Callide Power Station) and Calliope River Substation (near Gladstone).

Connecting the new 275kV high-capacity transmission line to our electricity network will require upgrade works at both the Calvale and Calliope River substations. Substation works involve:

• grid connection of the new transmission line to the Calvale and Calliope River substations

• expanding the Calliope River Substation on Powerlink-owned land, to accommodate new equipment and expansion of the existing 132kV and 275kV switching yards. New substation equipment may potentially include reactors to stabilise the power system, transformers to convert voltage, and synchronous condensers and static synchronous compensators for system strength.

Powerlink needs to reinforce our transmission network in the Gladstone area over the next 10 years. This is important to ensure an ongoing reliable and secure electricity supply to the region, as the largest load centre outside of South East Queensland.

Powerlink plans to deliver a critical program of transmission upgrades, known as the Gladstone Project. This is to ensure the electricity network remains safe and reliable as the region prepares for the eventual retirement of the Gladstone Power Station, and heavy industry moves toward electrification of their operations increasing demand on the network.

If approved and funded, the Calvale to Calliope River project will become Stage 1 of the Gladstone Project.

For more information visit powerlink.com.au/gladstoneproject.

For planning purposes, the project is split into five sections (A, B, C, D and E).

While the new line will mostly be constructed in existing spare easements, co-located beside existing 275kV transmission lines, there is around 16km between Bracewell and East End (Section C of the project), where easement widening is required. There are also minor areas approaching both substations (in Sections A and E) where easement widening is required due to design requirements.

The new line will be mostly co-located with existing infrastructure, reducing social, environmental and economic impacts compared to constructing in a new location.

‘Co-location’ is when transmission lines are built side-by-side. In the right circumstances, it can have several benefits compared to separate corridors.

This includes restricting vegetation clearing to one corridor, avoiding further vegetation fragmentation. A co-located corridor also occupies less land than separate corridors. For landholders, it means fewer access tracks are required, lowering biosecurity risks and limiting land-use impacts to one part of the property.

In June 2024, Powerlink published a Draft Corridor Selection Report (Draft CSR) for the project.

Landholders, the community and other stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the Draft CSR over a four-week consultation period. We reviewed and considered feedback, and prepared the Final Corridor Selection Report (Final CSR). The report confirmed the recommended corridor in the Draft CSR, including the widening in Section C to the north of the existing easement.

Key feedback themes from the Draft CSR consultation period, and our response, are summarised in the Final CSR and August 2024 Community Update. These documents are available under the ‘Resources’ menu.

In November 2025, the project’s Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) Proposal Report was released for community consultation. This consultation was initiated and managed by DSDIP and was supported by Powerlink engagement activities.

The MID Proposal Report and project newsletter from November 2025 are also available under the ‘Resources’ menu.

In 2025, consultation was undertaken to inform the development of a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for Powerlink’s major projects in Central Queensland, including Calvale to Calliope River.

In late 2024, Powerlink referred the project to the DCCEEW for assessment. The project was found to be a ‘controlled action’, meaning that further assessment and approval is required before the project can proceed. The Draft PER is the next step in this process.

Powerlink has prepared the Draft PER as part of our application for environmental approval under the EPBC Act. The EPBC Act is Australia’s national environmental law. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nine specific Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).

The project has been determined to be a controlled action requiring assessment by Public Environment Report and approval under the EPBC Act, with the following controlling provisions under Part 3 of the EPBC Act:

• World heritage values of a declared World Heritage property (section 12 & section 15A)

• National Heritage values of a National Heritage place (section 15B & section 15C)

• Listed threatened species and communities (section 18 & section 18A)

• The environment in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (section 24B & section 24C).

The Draft PER looks at how the project may affect MNES and outlines ways to avoid, mitigate or offset those impacts. It also includes the specialist studies undertaken and their findings, consideration of project alternatives, and detailed management and monitoring plans. The EPBC Act is administered by DCCEEW.

The February 2026 project newsletter summarises the PER structure and contents. A detailed table of contents is provided in the Draft PER. You can find this edition in the right-hand column under Resources.

In November 2025, the project’s Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) Proposal Report was released for community consultation. The MID process is governed by the Planning Act 2016, through the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP).

While both EPBC Act and MID processes involve public consultation, they are governed by different legislation and managed by different agencies. The MID process is about planning approval for infrastructure at the State level, whereas the EPBC process focuses on protecting nationally significant environmental values at the Federal level.

Powerlink will review and respond to submissions through a Submissions Report prepared for DCCEEW. We will then prepare the final PER, which will include our response to issues raised in submissions. DCCEEW will also consider public submissions as part of their assessment process, before deciding whether to approve the project, and under what conditions.

Powerlink is applying for planning approval under the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process. A Ministerial Infrastructure Designation, or MID, is a State Government approvals process for assessing certain types of community supporting infrastructure.

The MID process is managed by the Queensland Government, through Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP), with input from other government agencies.

In November 2025, the project’s MID Proposal Report was released for community consultation. This consultation is now closed. (DSDIP will review all formal submissions and share key themes with Powerlink.

We will provide an update in early 2026 summarising feedback, how it has been considered and next steps.

The MID Proposal Report for this project includes detailed reports that, together, make up our application for planning approval. It describes in detail the findings of more than 18 months of desktop and detailed flora and fauna field studies, and social and cultural heritage assessments.

The MID Proposal Report also includes reports that detail the findings and proposed mitigations for other matters, including construction traffic impacts, noise and vibration, landscape and visual amenity, bushfire risks and more.

The table below describes where to find out more about topics addressed in the Environmental Assessment component of the MID Proposal Report in Chapter 6.

A digital version of the MID Proposal Report and its appendices is available under the ‘Resources’ menu on this page.

In November 2025, DSDIP released the project’s MID Proposal Report for community consultation. This consultation is now closed.

DSDIP will review all formal submissions made on the MID Proposal Report and share key themes with Powerlink. Feedback provided directly to Powerlink will be reviewed and responded to by our project team. After the consultation period is over, we will provide an update summarising feedback, how it has been considered and next steps.

Desktop assessments were carried out during early planning and updated as the project progressed. Twelve flora (plant) and fauna (animal) field studies occurred between March 2023 and June 2025.

The outcome of desktop and field studies is an Ecological Assessment Report (EAR). It outlines the environmental values in the project area, looks at potential impacts on these values, and provides strategies to avoid, reduce or mitigate impacts. A copy of the EAR is available under the ‘Resources’ menu, as Appendix K of our MID Proposal Report.

Plant and animal studies occurred over a wide study area of around 14,293 hectares. This included the 87km long, 60m-wide transmission line easement alignment, substations and laydown areas, and a surrounding buffer zone.

Only a small part of the study area (around 2.5 percent) may be directly affected by the project.

The MID Proposal Report describes the project scope, including an upgrade of the Calliope River Substation which among other components, outlines provision for up to two synchronous condensers at the site on Powerlink-owned land. This option is still being investigated by Powerlink and locations for synchronous condensers are not confirmed.

This has been included as part of our approval documentation to build in adequate flexibility and streamline approval requirements for potential project components. It is prudent for Powerlink to include this information in case this location is selected.

Synchronous condensers are being considered at several major substations across Central Queensland. These locations are under investigation for technical suitability. We expect to engage with communities on proposed synchronous condenser locations in early 2026.

We take biosecurity seriously and have processes in place to avoid spreading weeds, pathogens and diseases between properties or introducing new biosecurity material from outside the local bioregion.

Powerlink has a responsibility to minimise the risk of our activities introducing pest animals, weeds and animal and plant diseases, on private or public land. The Biosecurity Act 2014 requires everyone to minimise risks associated with invasive plants and animals under their control. This is called a ‘general biosecurity obligation’.

Powerlink complies with the Biosecurity Act and takes action to ensure our activities do not introduce or spread weeds, pathogens and diseases.

Learn more about Powerlink’s systems and processes for managing biosecurity risk, including avoiding the spread of weeds, by downloading the biosecurity fact sheet in the Resources section of this page.