According to AusNet Services, the 11 km pipeline will run from Geelong to Torquay in Western Victoria, reducing the risk of supply interruptions during peak periods and catering for new residential and commercial growth. Scheduled for completion mid-2015, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) will be utilised throughout the majority of the project. The trenchless technique was selected as it would protect existing services within road reserves and minimise impacts to the local flora and fauna, said an AusNet Services spokesperson. In planning the project, AusNet Services undertook a Biodiversity Assessment and a complex Cultural Heritage Management Plan, with both reports submitted to local councils. Construction work for the project began earlier in February and is scheduled to take place predominantly along the alignment of Horseshoe Bend Road in Mount Duneed. AusNet Services General Manager of Asset Management Alistair Parker said the new pipeline will future-proof the gas network in the burgeoning areas south of Geelong and Torquay. “With thousands of new homes being built in Armstrong Creek, Torquay and Jan Juc, there has been a strong up-take of gas for general heating, cooking and hot water systems,” he said. “The new 11 km pipeline will help secure the supply of gas to the residents during peak winter periods and provide capacity for up to an expected 5,000 additional homes in Torquay and Jan Juc.”
Markets, Oil, gas and energy
$A2.9 million gas pipeline to boost Torquay supply
