Gas cylinders could be a thing of the past if a pipeline is constructed connecting Harden residents to natural gas.
A consortium consisting of APA Group, Sibelco and the Kruger Trust have approached Harden Shire Council to submit an application for funding from the third round of the Federal Government’s National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF) to transport natural gas supplies to Harden and Galong. The project involves the transportation by pipeline of natural gas from Wallenbeen through to Harden, where it will reticulate to town streets, and then on to Galong for supply to Sibelco’s limestone mine north-east of Galong. The total cost of the enterprise is estimated to be between $19 million and $20 million. The request for support comes after Harden Shire Council committed $53,333.00 to a Front End Engineering and Design Study (FEED) for the transportation of natural gas from Wallendbeen, at a total cost of $160,000.00.
This study will also determine the approximate costs for the project. The extension of natural gas supplies to Harden may have enormous potential benefits for economic development within the Shire. A feasibility study conducted by Council, the Kruger Trust and the Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre identified opportunities to establish duck and pig processing plants, with the possibility of generating between 250 and 300 jobs. These industries are both dependent on natural gas as a source of energy. Applications for Round 3 of the NSRF close on December 31st, with grants between $20,000 and $10,000,000.00 available. Harden Shire Council was successful in its application for funding in Round 2 of the NSRF for the development of the Cunningar GrainCorp site into a Grain Export Facility, receiving $2.5 million. The consortium intends to match grant funding dollar for dollar. Council will decide whether to support the application at its February Business Meeting on February 17.
