Expanded forum to steer five major energy projects across Hunter and Central Coast

newy.com.au – EnergyCo has broadened its Regional Reference Group for the Hunter Transmission Project into a Hunter–Central Coast forum, bringing together councils, community representatives, industry and First Nations voices to guide five major renewable energy and infrastructure projects across the region.

The Hunter–Central Coast Regional Reference Group, which first met in early 2024 for the Hunter Transmission Project, will now also cover the Hunter–Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, the Newcastle Logistics Precinct, the Waratah Super Battery and the Port-to-REZ road upgrades. EnergyCo says the change will allow members to consider the cumulative impacts of multiple projects, coordinate with overlapping timelines and maximise benefits for local communities.

EnergyCo Chief Executive Hannah McCaughey said the expansion recognised the area’s importance to the state’s energy future. “The Hunter region is at the heart of the energy transition in NSW. The Hunter–Central Coast Regional Reference Group provides a platform for collaborative and meaningful engagement across all our projects,” she said.

Independent chair and former Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent will continue to lead the forum. “This group helps ensure local voices continue to be heard and have a say in shaping these important projects,” he said. “The Hunter–Central Coast RRG will continue to work with EnergyCo to provide advice, share local knowledge and help identify opportunities that could benefit the community.”

The Renewable Energy Zone, delivered with Ausgrid, will rebuild about 85 kilometres of existing sub-transmission lines, add two new substations and upgrade two others to unlock around one gigawatt of network capacity by 2028. The Hunter Transmission Project involves about 100 kilometres of new high-voltage line between Bayswater, Olney and Eraring, with refinements to reduce the number of directly affected private landholders.

At the former Munmorah power station site, the Waratah Super Battery is partly operational at 350 megawatts and is due for completion later this year. The Newcastle Logistics Precinct at Mayfield is planned as a $115.5 million hub for oversized renewable energy components, while the $128 million Port-to-REZ road program is upgrading intersections and corridors from Newcastle to Elong Elong, with early works under way in Mayfield North and Jerrys Plains.

The group will meet at least four times a year and includes representatives from Upper Hunter, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Mid-Coast, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Central Coast local government areas. Meeting outcomes are expected to inform project designs, minimise environmental and community impacts, and identify economic opportunities linked to the state’s renewable energy rollout.