DEPUTY Premier Peter Ryan and Member for Swan Hill Peter Walsh have just held a press conference at Swan Hill Town Hall announcing natural gas to be connected to towns including Swan Hill, Kerang and Robinvale.
Brookfield Infrastructure Group has been selected to connect gas to Heathcote, Invermay, Lakes Entrance, Maldon, Marong, Orbost, Terang, Swan Hill, Kerang, Robinvale and Nathalia.
The communities will be connected to reticulated natural gas using compressed natural gas (CNG) in what is an Australian first.
“Brookfield’s proposal will involve initial supply of CNG from its Derrimut facility and the creation of further mother stations to compress the gas before it is trucked to daughter stations, to be located on the outskirts of town, in each of the 11 communities,” Mr Walsh said.
“From the daughter stations the gas will be reticulated via pipes to homes at a price comparable to gas supplied through conventional pipelines connected to the grid.
“Today’s announcement is terrific news for regional Victoria, and to be here in Swan Hill today alongside the Deputy Premier to announce two communities in my electorate, Swan Hill and Kerang, will be connected is a great moment.”
Mr Ryan said reticulated natural gas would be delivered regardless of which side of politics wins November’s election, with the contracts now set in stone.
FULL COVERAGE IN WEDNESDAY’S GUARDIAN
