Progress is being made to upgrade the power supply to the greater Douglas region with Ergon Energy approving a business case to investigate the full costs of building a new 132kv sub-station.

Malcolm McKellar, a long-time campaigner for reliable power to the region, received an email from Geoff Bowes, Ergon's Manager of Regional Services in the North, outlining recent developments.

"In June, Ergon Energy's Network Investment Review Committee considered a business case to upgrade the Mossman Zone Substation to a 132/22kv arrangement and connect into the high-reliability 132kv Turkinje - Craiglie transmission line," Mr Bowes wrote.

"I am pleased to advise that the business case was accepted and approval has been given to progress full investigation of the scope and costs of developing the new substation on the existing site of the Mossman substation."

The current 66kv sub-station would be decommissioned, and the transmission lines across Rex Range removed.

Mr Bowes said the next phase of the project "scope development and estimate preparation" would take around 12 months to complete, and final approval would be required to commence construction.

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Mr McKellar expressed his excitement at the news progress was finally being made after the fight for reliable power to the region began in the 1990s.

Responding to Mr Bowes, Mr McKellar said Ergon Energy would emerge the winner from an approval to construct an upgraded sub-station.

"I have little doubt that consummation of this project will be of as much benefit to Ergon Energy, in those measures of efficiency, performance, and customer service applicable to Ergon, as it will be to the 7,500 long-suffering residents of our community, and, at a recent meeting, we resolved to request that you accelerate this next phase of the process so that certainty can be given to our expectations for implementation of the cut-over to reliable supply."

After remaining committed to the cause for so many years, there is little doubt public pressure will continue to be applied on Ergon until the project is completed.