Mount Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project

The project will see the current gold mining operation located 75km southwest of Bundaberg converted into a 20,000 MWh pumped hydro facility. The program involved five stages of field investigations across vast, mountainous terrain, rolling mid altitude hills, and riverine plains and aimed to assess both the physical environment and tangible archaeological aspects of its Aboriginal cultural heritage, as well as a myriad of intangible sites and values.

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It was quickly obvious that the Mount Rawdon Pumped Hydro project area captured a landscape of extreme cultural significance and ecological rarity. Understanding the interconnectedness of this landscape became the core focus of the assessment including consultation with the wider community of Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda knowledge holders. This work has delivered a meaningful understanding of the site and its associated cultural values; not only enabling effective management, but also enriching the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng andTaribelang Bunda People’s understanding of an important but poorly documented part of their Country.

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