$19.3M for Daintree Micro-Grid project

The Budget announcement that the Federal Government will invest $19.3m to support stage one construction of the Daintree Micro-grid project, has been well received north and south of the Daintree.

This builds on $990,000 in funding awarded for a feasibility study for this important project.

“This project is the first of its kind, not only in Australia, but in the world – a fully renewable baseload-power micro-grid.

“It will remove the need to burn diesel in the Daintree, allowing residents to have access to a cleaner, more affordable, more reliable source of energy.

“The project is a game-changer for the Daintree community and delivers on my firm commitment to residents to deliver a solution to their power needs,” said Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch, who has worked tirelessly on the project.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said he is extremely excited for Daintree residents who have had to endure living in third-world conditions for far too long.

“This opportunity will finally give them no more than every other resident in our shire: reliable power and reliable communication in a world-class environmental way, which is prudent for the location they are in.

“No more will you hear dirty diesel generators running; at last we will have a truly environmentally friendly location,” said Mayor Kerr.

And Russell O’Doherty, Chair, Daintree Renewable Energy Inc., said this is a huge shot in the arm for the future of the Daintree.

"We've been working on this for more than 20 years and the $19.3m injection is the most constructive news in some time.

“This is extremely significant when you consider how much is spent to keep the generators running.

“We owe a lot to Entsch who deserves credit for working vigorously to ensure the Daintree had power," said O’Doherty.

The micro-grid will replace high-cost diesel generation the community currently relies on.

The project will also deliver an economic boost to the region, creating jobs during the construction phase and increasing the spending ability of households and businesses by reducing their power bills.

“Only when the Daintree stops producing thousands of tons of CO2 every year, will the Council be able to claim the shire is an eco-tourism destination,” O’Doherty has said earlier.

It is well known that north of the Daintree River, hundreds of generators are operating 24- hours-a-day, which has surprised many tourists who thought it was an eco-tourism destination.

Federal Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said every Australian – no matter where they live – should be confident that they will have the power they need, when they need it and at an affordable price.

“This funding will provide a reliable and affordable energy solution to the remote Daintree community, supporting economic development, and creating local jobs.

“Remote Australian communities face unique energy challenges and the government is committed to ensuring our regional communities are not disadvantaged by unreliable and expensive energy.”