North Queensland Telecommunications and Energy Improvement Grants
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Helping keep North Queensland communities connected during times of disaster
The North Queensland Telecommunications and Energy Improvement Grants were announced in the 2020–21 budget as part of a $60 million package for five new grant programs to accompany the release of After the flood: A strategy for long-term recovery to support flood affected communities recovery from the 2019 North Queensland Monsoon Trough event.
Purpose
The North Queensland Telecommunications and Energy Improvement Grants provided $15 million to support projects that trial and adapt new technologies to improve access to reliable and cost-effective telecommunications connectivity or energy supply across the 14 most flood affected local government areas following the 2019 North Queensland monsoon trough.
Co-contribution grants of between $10,000 and $1 million were available on a competitive basis.
Key dates
The 2021 North Queensland Telecommunications and Energy Improvement Grants opened for applications on 8 February 2021 and closed on 30 April 2021.
Successful expressions of interest applicants were invited to submit a full application between 9 April 2021 and 9 July 2021.
Eligibility
Applications have closed for these grants.
How to apply
The North Queensland Telecommunications and Energy Improvement Grants are funded by the Australian Government and administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA).
Applications have closed for these grants.
You can view the grant guidelines on the QRIDA website here.
Successful projects
This program is administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority. Guidelines and further information are available on their website.
- Successful applicants
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Successful applicant Local Government Area and locality Overview Grant amount Telstra Corporation Limited Cloncurry - Cloncurry Installation of a new mobile base station at Quamby in Queensland. The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Quamby on an existing Telstra structure.
This project will further extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Cloncurry along the Burke Development Road towards Four Ways and, eventually, Normanton.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the western parts of the flood basin, including Capsize creek and the many tributaries and road crossings.
It will also provide a platform for improved connectivity and information for residents, farmers and tourists in the vicinity including warnings for any future natural disaster events.
The infrastructure forms the first step in the chain of sites required to extend the mobile network in this area.
$582,286.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Charters Towers - Basalt Installation of a new macro base station at Eumara Springs.
Construction of the Eumara Springs Radio base station will extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Charters Towers along the Gregory Highway towards Mount Garnet and eventually Atherton.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the eastern parts of the flood basin and Burdekin River including road crossings.
Furthermore it will provide a platform for improved connectivity and information for residents, farmers and tourists in the vicinity including warnings for any future natural disaster events.
$529,572.00
Telstra Corporation Limited Etheridge - Einasleigh Installation of a new mobile base station at Copperfield River.
The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Copperfield River in Queensland south from Einasleigh along the Gregory Highway towards Hughenden on an existing Telstra structure.
Construction of the Copperfield River RT base station will further extend Telstra mobile coverage south from Einasleigh along the Gregory Highway towards Hughenden.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the central parts of the flood basin including both the Norman and Oak Rivers and their many tributaries and road crossings.
$583,674.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Winton - Corfield Installation of a new macro base station at Olio.
Construction of the Olio RT base station will extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Winton along the Kennedy Development Road towards Corfield and eventually Hughenden.
The base station will be sited on an existing 91m high Telstra tower, which is connected to mains power.
$495,577.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Hinchinbrook - Lannercost Installation of a new satellite small cell at Wallaman Falls.
This project proposes the installation of a new 4GX satellite small cell at Wallaman Falls to provide dedicated coverage to the local area.
The small cell will be mounted on a new 30m structure.
$212,567.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Carpentaria - Karumba Installation of a new mobile small cell at Karumba North.
This project proposes the installation of a new fibre-fed 4GX small cell at Karumba North.
The small cell will be mounted on a new 20m structure providing coverage to the locality.
$173,937.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Mckinlay - Taldora Installation of a new macro base station at Flers.
Construction of the Flers RT base station will extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Julia Creek along the Will Development Road towards Four Ways and eventually Normanton.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the western parts of the flood basin, including Williams River, Julia Creek and the many tributaries and road crossings.
$872,783.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Flinders - Porcupine Installation of a new macro base station at Boonderoo.
Installation of a new macro base station at Boonderoo RT base station will extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Hughenden along the Kennedy Development Rd towards Mount Garnet and eventually Atherton.
The base station will be sited on an existing 100m high Telstra tower, connected to solar power.
$786,949.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Mckinlay - Kynuna Upgrade of back-up batteries at Kynuna telephone exchange.
Project involves the upgrade of the Kynuna small country exchange battery backup system, which will provide increased resiliency of all local Telstra services.
It will, also, allow the existing mains powered 4GX satellite small cell to be connected to a battery backup system during times the unreliable mains power grid fails.
$25,575.00 NBN Co Limited Whitsunday - Bowen NBN Co Limited Bowen Fixed Wireless to Fibre to the Premise Technology Switch.
This project provides an update to the current phone and internet services by replacing nbn Fixed Wireless services with the nbn Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology for circa 207 residential and business premises.
Aside from upgrading existing nbn Fixed Wireless customers to FTTP, future residents, businesses and new developments within the proposed footprint will also be able to utilise nbn’s FTTP technology in the future.
$998,248.84 Radcomp Pty Ltd Hinchinbrook - Ingham The project will upgrade ageing and expensive IT infrastructure to deliver enhanced network coverage, reliability, reduced costs, and increased speed of telecommunication services in the Hinchinbrook Shire Region for both residential and commercial users.
The project will upgrade six telecommunications towers to the latest in Airfibre technology.
The towers are owned by Radcomp and are currently operating with red-line microwave technology which would be due for upgrade in 8 years.
$300,000.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Carpentaria - Normanton The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Reaphook Range (approx. 36kms SW of Normanton Qld) on an existing Telstra structure.
Construction of the Reaphook Range RT base station will further extend Telstra mobile coverage north from south from Normanton along the Burke Development Rd towards Four Ways and eventually Cloncurry.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the northern parts of the flood basin, including both the Norman and Flinders Rivers.
$786,867.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Flinders - Porcupine The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Mt Sturgeon north from Julia Creek along Will (Kennedy) Development Rd towards Mount Garnet and eventually Atherton on an existing Telstra structure.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the eastern parts of the flood basin, including Flinders River and the many tributaries and road crossings.
$932,861.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Carpentaria - Normanton The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Haydon on an existing Telstra structure.
Construction of the Haydon RT base station will further extend Telstra mobile coverage east from Normanton along the Gulf Development Rd towards Croydon.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the northern parts of the flood basin and Norman River including the many tributaries and road crossings.
$683,747.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Whitsunday - Bowen The proposed project will see a new 4GX mobile base station built at Intaburra on a to be confirmed new site.
Construction of the new Intaburra base station will ensure the southern parts of the Bowen community will remain connected and have access to a more robust mobile network during natural disasters.
$677,328.00 Whitsunday Regional Council Whitsunday - Proserpine WRC Solar for critical services assets, Energy project, the scope of which seeks to provide emergent power supply at sites across the Whitsunday region that are necessary to maintain operations to provide critical services to the community in a disaster event. $443,645.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Mckinlay - Taldora Installation of a new macro base station at Balootha. Construction of the Balootha RT base station will further extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Julia Creek along Will Development Road towards Four Ways and eventually Normanton.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the western parts of the flood basin, including Williams River, Julia Creek and the many tributaries and road crossings.
$749,714.00 Telstra Corporation Limited Cloncurry - Three Rivers The proposed project will see a new mobile base station built at Sally Creek on an existing Telstra structure.
Construction of the Sally Creek RT base station will further extend Telstra mobile coverage north from Cloncurry along the Burke Development Road towards Four Ways and, eventually, Normanton.
The extra coverage is predicted to extend across the western parts of the flood basin, including Leichhardt River and the many tributaries and road crossings.
$762,780.00 Wi-Sky Queensland Pty Ltd and Cloncurry Shire Council Carpentaria - Normanton Telecommunications project, the scope of which is the upgrading and construction of 17 telecommunications towers along the 453 kilometre corridor between Cloncurry and Normanton/Karumba.
The project will also enable farmers and graziers located along the corridor to implement IOT devices into their businesses by providing a free LoraWAN network.
$1,000,000.00 Renewable Energy Asia Pacific Pty Ltd and Charters Towers Chamber of Commerce and Mines Incorporated Charters Towers - Charters Towers City The Charters Towers Energy Improvement Program, install 20 grid connect solar and battery storage systems in Charters Towers based businesses.
These systems will provide electricity during normal business operations as well as during grid failure events (e.g. post natural disaster).
$473,580.00 Wi-Sky Queensland Pty Ltd and Cloncurry Shire Council Cloncurry - Cloncurry Telecommunications project, the scope of which is the upgrading and construction of nine telecommunications towers along the 182 kilometre corridor between Cloncurry and Dajarra. $449,050.00 Taipan Networx Pty Ltd and Datalek Systems and Electrical Pty Ltd Winton - Winton The project will provide the township of Winton better resilience for broadband and telecommunications during natural disaster events or accidental damage to the fibre trunk line anywhere between Winton and Brisbane. $800,000.00 Connected Farms Pty Ltd Whitsunday - Bowen Connected farms propose to deliver a fixed wireless solution with fibre back haul to provide coverage and minimum 100Mb broadband speeds to the farming community, businesses, residents in the area that are outside the NBN fixed line footprint. $680,000.00 *This table was last updated on 1 July 2021.