Elecnor Australia
Supporting EnergyConnect through complex post-approvals
Client | Elecnor Australia
Service | Approvals strategy, environmental impact assessment
Duration | 2021-2024
Sectors | energy transmission, energy renewables, regional infrastructure
‘Alison brings important and valued skills to the project team with the ability to undertake deep thinking and critical analysis on our most challenging problems. These skills are not commonly found in infrastructure delivery, and are important in understanding approvals requirements on complex infrastructure projects. Alison has an excellent ability to communicate these requirements clearly and concisely to the construction and environment teams, ensuring that they’re aware of the constraints and requirements that exist”.
-Rebecca Walker-Edwards, Environmental Approvals, SecureEnergy (Elecnor)
Project Overview
Project EnergyConnect is one of Australia’s most significant electricity transmission projects. It is connecting the power grids of New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria through around 900 kilometres of new and upgraded high-voltage transmission infrastructure. The project will strengthen the National Electricity Market, improve energy security and create more capacity for renewable energy to connect to the grid. Delivering a project of this scale requires careful management of environmental, planning and heritage obligations as work moves from approval into construction.
Our approach
We worked as an embedded part of Elecnor Australia’s environment and approvals team, providing specialist post-approvals support across Project EnergyConnect’s western and eastern sections. Our role was to help the project team navigate complex approvals requirements, including Aboriginal heritage constraints, by combining deep project knowledge with careful analysis and practical advice. We translated technical requirements into clear, concise guidance for environment, approvals, design and construction teams, helping them understand key constraints, manage risks and make informed decisions as the project moved from approval into delivery.
What we delivered
We supported Elecnor Australia with environmental and planning advice across the western and eastern sections of Project EnergyConnect. Our work included approvals management, Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs), pre-construction approval documentation, consistency assessments, local road approvals and staging report updates. We also coordinated specialist consultants, prepared responses to client and regulator information requests, and supported Aboriginal heritage approvals and repatriation outcomes.
Impact
Our support helped Elecnor Australia and Transgrid manage complex post-approvals requirements on a nationally significant transmission project with greater clarity and confidence. By combining specialist approvals and heritage knowledge with careful analysis, we helped the project team understand constraints, test options and make practical decisions on key deliverables. Our embedded role gave the project timely, reliable support as construction priorities evolved, helping the team maintain momentum while managing important environmental and heritage obligations.