EnviroMission Limited

Recent Media Releases

7 May 2002

Wentworth Shire Council
Media release
Date: Tuesday, 7 May, 2002

Federal Member’s solar tower support

WENTWORTH Shire Council Mayor, Cr Don McKinnon, has welcomed the support of Federal Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, for the EnviroMission Solar Tower project.

In a letter to Council this week, Ms Ley described the tower as " a tremendous opportunity".

Ms Ley asked to be kept informed of developments and for Council to let her know "where the ‘blockers’ might be so that I may assist if necessary".
Mayor McKinnon welcomed Ms Ley’s support saying it could prove invaluable in securing the multi-million dollar project.

"Now all we need is for Member for Murray Darling Peter Black to acknowledge the importance of this project to his electorate and throw his weight behind it on a State level," Cr McKinnon said.

"I am sure he will be a willing participant in what could become the most important Australian infrastructure project since the Snowy Mountain Scheme."

Construction of the world’s largest solar-powered electric generating plant could begin on Tapio Station as soon as January 2003.

EnviroMission, the company seeking to undertake the mammoth project, recently committed to Tapio Station as it’s preferred Australian site.

Sprawling Tapio is one of the Shire’s larger grazing holdings and best known for hosting an annual charity rodeo.

The figures for the project are impressive. The project cost, without attendant infrastructure, is estimated at $700 million; the tower will be one kilometre high – the tallest man-made structure on Earth and incorporate 700,000 cubic metres of concrete; the accompanying ‘green house’ will have a radius of 3.5 kilometres, cover about 10,000 hectares and require 38 million square metres of covering.

The project is expected to generate 2700 jobs, many of them for local laborers, during the 34-month construction phase and provide between 15 and 40 ongoing jobs.

"What we need to expedite the process is widespread co-operation from grass roots community support through to the highest Government levels." Mayor McKinnon said.

"This is a win-win situation for all involved. Not only does the Wentworth Shire and ultimately the country get a new national icon, but we also get clean, green power."

Ends…

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