The Wyee West Paper Subdivision Development Plan Reference Group met for the ninth time this month

A presentation from CSIRO’s Dr John Ward, Science Director – Grids and Energy Efficient Systems was the highlight of the September meeting, following Council’s engagement of CSIRO Energy Centre to investigate alternative energy supply options for the Wyee paper subdivision.

Over the coming months, CSIRO will be investigating and analysing three alternative options:

1. Business as usual, where electricity infrastructure is built to Ausgrid specifications and owned by Ausgrid.

2. Subdivision is serviced by a private grid, with a single point of connection to the Ausgrid network and landowners own the electricity distribution infrastructure (i.e. wires and transformers) within the subdivision.

3. Private grid and automated energy demand management, is the same as option 2, but also includes smart technology to automatically regulate energy to minimise peak loads and the need to import (or export) electricity from outside the private grid.

CSIRO expects to present findings to reference group in November.

Ongoing compliance monitoring activities are continuing within the subdivision, and there has been some recent success with landowners removing recently erected structures. The planning studies that will inform the design of new infrastructure (including biodiversity, archaeological, bushfire and geotechnical) are progressing well.

Residents were also advised that the Hunter Water Wyee Sewer Scheme has a dedicated consultation site, find out more at: www.yourvoice.hunterwater.com.au/wyee-sewer.