HumeLink is a new 500kV transmission line which will connect Wagga Wagga, Bannaby and Maragle. It is one of the NSW’s largest energy infrastructure projects, with about 365 kilometres of proposed new transmission lines and new or upgraded infrastructure at four locations.

Australia needs to transition to a greater mix of low-emission renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, to meet our future energy demands. HumeLink will enable a more reliable and more sustainable grid by increasing the amount of renewable energy that can be delivered across the national electricity grid, helping to transition Australia to a low carbon future. 

Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) projects are deemed to have state significance due to size, economic value or potential impacts.  In 2018, the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces - formerly known as the NSW Minister for Planning - declared Snowy 2.0 and Transmission Project to be a CSSI under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). Being part of the Transmission Project associated with Snowy 2.0, HumeLink was also declared a Critical State Infrastructure (CSSI) project. 

The NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 (EP&A Regulation) form the statutory framework for environmental assessment and planning approval in NSW. 

As part of the planning approval process for HumeLink, the project is required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the Planning Secretary’s environmental assessment requirements (SEARs). This project also requires Commonwealth Government approval as the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has determined it is a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). 

Under a bilateral agreement between the State and Commonwealth, the EIS will satisfy the assessment requirement of both authorities. However, HumeLink will need approval from the NSW and Commonwealth governments. 

To find out more about the project's environmental planning approval process, visit our Regulatory and Environmental Approvals section and our EIS FAQs.

Throughout the project approval process Transgrid has and will continue to consult with the relevant local, State and Commonwealth Government authorities, service providers, community groups, affected landowners, Native Title holders and Aboriginal land claimants, exploration licence holders, quarry operators and mineral title holders. 

Transgrid has engaged landowners, the community and other stakeholders, providing opportunities to discuss concerns and questions about the project. These activities included community information sessions, street meetings with the Remote Access Community Hub (RACH) and establishing and engaging with Community Consultative Group (CCG) and Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs).

For more information on the engagement process during the planning process, visit our About the EIS page. 

The Submissions Report and Amendment Report have been lodged with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). In June 2024, Transgrid lodged the revised Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) and the response to the NSW Biodiversity, Conservation and Sciences group (BCS) submission on the EIS. These documents complement the Amendment Report and Submissions Report.  

Additionally, the Enabling Works Management Plan (EWMP) has also been lodged with the DPHI in June 2024. The EWMP outlines the enabling works are required to prepare the work sites ahead of the start of main construction and involve establishment of construction compounds, accommodation facilities, road works for new or existing access tracks and utility relocations.

Following the lodgement of these documents, the project has entered into the assessment and determination stage. The DPHI will review all the information provided in the EIS, Submissions Report and Amendment Report and make a final determination on the project. The DPHI will recommend to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment to either approve the project along with any conditions or provide reasons for refusal.

The DPHI will now recommend to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment to either approve the project along with any conditions or provide reasons for refusal.

If planning approval from State and Commonwealth governments is granted in the second half of 2024, site establishment and early works for the project will begin in late 2024. Construction work on transmission lines and substations is set to begin in 2025 with construction completed in 2026. 

Should the project be approved, it would be subject to Ministers’ Conditions of Approval which outline how the potential impacts of the project and engagement with landowners and communities need to be managed during construction. The Ministers’ Conditions of Approval may also include operational requirements. 

To find out more about project progress, we invite you to register to receive email updates here.