UPON receiving word that the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) is planning to provide the $516 million funds for the Kidston solar project in Georgetown, KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter commended the move labelling it ‘long overdue’ and ‘imperative’ for the North.

Mr Katter said, “At long last the pressure applied has yielded some benefit for North Queensland.

“We are appreciative that this asset will provide the pump storage hydro-electricity needed to fill the inherent gaps when the sun doesn’t shine or when wind doesn’t blow. More importantly still,  to provide the ‘very super high cost’ electricity during peak hours.

“The Prime Minister’s 2,000 megawatts of peak load out of the Snowy will now have this adjunct strategically placed at the other end of the continent from the Snowy (on the Victorian border)  to a location south of the Atherton Tablelands.

“It is imperative and we will be tigering for this to go to where it is most needed – back to Hughenden to balance up with the Little Kennedy alternative energy project located in Hughenden and onto Mount Isa where $3,000 million a year of zinc, lead, copper and fertiliser production is seriously threatened due to the high cost of gas.

“We congratulate Simon Kidston and his Kidston Pump Storage project.”