We are working with Traditional Custodians, community, industry and government to co-create a world-class, multi-use precinct which reinstates the site as the heartbeat of the community.
Wallerawang (postcode 2845) is located within the Lithgow Local Government Area in the Central-West of NSW. It is 150km from the Sydney CBD, 115km from the proposed Western Sydney Aerotropolis and a connecting point to major centres in Regional NSW west of the Blue Mountains. Lithgow is a community with a rich industrial heritage which has significantly contributed to the State of NSW and the country more broadly. From the iconic Zig Zag railway to cross the Blue Mountains, steel manufacturing, cement making which helped build Sydney, and defence manufacturing to underpin war time efforts, to coal mining and electricity generation since the middle of the last century, the area’s contribution to Australia for the past 150 years is enormous. It is also an area which boasts stunning natural landscapes, heritage significance and a growing tourism industry loaded with potential.
Our flagship project is to repurpose the Wallerawang Power Station and surrounding lands to honour the legacy of the area and to play a part in building a sustainable future for the community. Our indicative concept plan for the site is below. It is designed to provide an early picture of our place-making activities, the investment we aim to attract and of the future potential for the 620 hectare site.
In August 2022, Greenspot received development approval for a 500MW/1,000MWh BESS which will connect to the adjacent 330kV TransGrid Wallerawang Substation. Obtaining development approval for the estimated $400M project is considered an important step forward in NSW's energy future. The ‘Wallerawang 9’ name acknowledges the legacy of the power station and in particular generation units 7 and 8, the last operational coal-fired units at the Wallerawang Power Station.
The site’s partial demolition has involved highly technical explosive events managed by global experts. 40,000+ tonnes of scrap metal will be recycled to create new products in Australian steel mills. Upwards of 95% of the power station will be salvaged, recycled or repurposed, and major pieces of infrastructure are being retained and repurposed.
The site features enabling infrastructure which can be leveraged for a range of industries. The core enablers are: the site’s proximity to high voltage transmission infrastructure; infrastructure with the potential to enable long-term water supply and security; adjacent arterial transport networks connecting Sydney and major centres in Regional NSW, together with private rail access off the Main Western Line; and high-integrity data connection points to promote digital connectivity throughout the precinct.
Lake Wallace and its vast foreshores are proudly owned by Greenspot. We are very pleased to make these spaces available to the public through a lease with Lithgow City Council. Lake Wallace is, understandably, considered by many to be the ‘jewel in the crown’ for tourism in the area. We feel it is timely to apply some fresh thinking to how the spaces could be further enhanced. We are working with Council to study ways in which the foreshore could be activated through a range of uses including tourism, recreational, residential and public spaces with community facilities. We look forward to discussing concepts with the community.
Greenspot put forward an alternative view to decommissioning and demolishing a coal-fired power station where much of the existing infrastructure is preserved to be put into use by new industry. The buildings we propose to retain include the Turbine Generator Hall, Dry Storage Dome and the iconic Unit 8 Cooling Tower.
Around 200ha of enterprise area can support an ecosystem of industries backed by core enabling energy, water, transport and digital infrastructure.
The grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System with an approved capacity of 500MW/1,000MWh will connect directly into the adjacent 330kV Wallerawang Substation.
Enhancing riparian, grassland and bushland ecologies to create a green corridor will provide for valuable biodiversity outcomes as well as a social connection to the natural environment.
Covering roughly 100ha and with the capacity to hold 4,300ML of water, Lake Wallace was built to provide water to the former power station. Within the precinct, it can potentially be used at a reservoir for the Lithgow LGA's municipal water supply, to provide water for industry and to continue to support recreational uses.
Respectful activation of the Lake Wallace foreshore is being considered for uses such as tourism, recreation, residential, retail and public open space. This could create an idyllic work-life balance on the doorstep of secure employment as well as enhancing the area’s reputation as a priority tourism destination.
Transgrid owns and operates 330kV and 132kV substations immediately adjacent to the site. Proximity to this infrastructure facilitates high-capacity electricity generation, storage and consumption. Transgrid also owns a high-integrity data network that passes through the 330kV substation and is capable of providing secure high-speed digital connections.
The existing private rail siding on our site connects to the Main Western Rail Line which links rail freight between Greater Sydney and Western NSW. Coupled with the site’s proximity to major arterial highways, rail can provide key supply chain opportunities.
The Castlereagh and Great Western Highways connect Sydney to regional commercial centres such as Mudgee and Bathurst via the Greenspot site. Coupled with our site’s private rail access to the Main Western Line, these highways can provide key supply chain opportunities.