Hide message
EnergyAustralia has announced plans for workers employed on construction of its Lake Lyell Pumped Hydro Project, to be accommodated in a camp alongside Lake Lyell off Magpie Hollow Road, South Bowenfels, from 2026.
EnergyAustralia’s Lake Lyell Pumped Hydro Project Director, Mike de Vink, said, “The project is currently in the feasibility phase, however, if it’s approved, we would need to accommodate up to 500 workers over the three to four-year construction period.
“Making plans for the accommodation village demonstrates our commitment to this project and to sharing details with the community as early as possible.
“The chosen site is on land owned by EnergyAustralia and leased to Lithgow City Council. We thank Council for approving a variation to the lease to allow the accommodation village to be located here.
“As a major employer in the region, progressing with these plans gives EnergyAustralia certainty that we can continue to operate and invest in Lithgow.
“There will be great opportunities for local workers and small businesses to be involved in the project’s construction, but we’ll also need a significant number of specialist workers from outside the area.
“Rather than put pressure on housing availability for local residents, whether this is ownership or rental, and on tourist accommodation, EnergyAustralia plans to house these workers in this new accommodation village.
“A particularly exciting prospect is what will happen to the village once construction is complete. We’ll look at how it could be repurposed and provide a legacy asset for the community. There’s a whole range of possibilities that come to mind, including a tourist accommodation facility.”
Key benefits of the selected camp location include:
- Proximity to the main project site
- Reduced traffic impact on local roads as well as the Great Western Highway
- Minimises number of near neighbours impacted
- Development of the site with utilities provides it with future options
- Enhanced worker wellbeing and morale
Background:
The Lake Lyell Pumped Hydro project is in the feasibility stage with a decision on proceeding likely in the second half of 2025. The project would be built entirely on EnergyAustralia owned-land and will not require any new transmission lines to be built.
The project has a proposed capacity of 335 megawatts for up to eight hours, with flexible capacity of more than 400 megawatts for a shorter duration, providing energy for at least 150,000 homes.