Draft Community Benefits Sharing Program framework

In early 2022, TasNetworks formed a Youth Panel made up of young people from the six local government areas impacted by the North West Transmission Developments (NWTD), including Burnie, Waratah/Wynyard, Central Coast, Kentish, Meander Valley and Northern Midlands. The panel worked together to co-design a draft community benefit sharing program framework for the NWTD. 

The proposed NWTD include 240km of new and upgraded transmission lines and other energy infrastructure that will increase the capacity of Tasmania’s electricity network.  The developments will link the transmission network from the Cressy area to Sheffield, Burnie, Hampshire and Staverton, providing enough capacity for Marinus Link and other renewable energy developments to connect into the electricity grid. The developments will support Australia’s energy transition alongside Tasmania’s ambition to be a world leading renewable energy provider. 

Like any major infrastructure project, the NWTD has the potential to impact communities during construction and operation. Developing a community benefits sharing program is part of TasNetworks’ commitment to ensuring that we leave an ongoing and sustainable positive legacy for the community in North West Tasmania.

Engaging youth was an important first step in developing a community benefits sharing program framework for North West Tasmania. It is vital young people are included in decisions that affect their community, as they are the community members who will live with the developments for the longest.