Williamsdale, Australian Capital Territory

Williamsdale is a township in Australia located partly in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and partly in New South Wales (NSW). The Monaro Highway and the former Bombala railway pass through the village. A railway station saw service until 1975. The postcode is 2620.

Williamsdale
Australian Capital Territory
Abandoned garage in Williamsdale
Williamsdale
Coordinates35°34′11″S 149°08′05″E
Location35 km (22 mi) S of Canberra
Territory electorate(s)Brindabella
Federal Division(s)
Localities around Williamsdale:
Tharwa Royalla Burra
Bushland Williamsdale Burra
Bushland The Angle Michelago

Structure

The Australian Bureau of Statistics included the ACT part of Williamsdale in an area called "Tuggeranong (SA2)". This statistical area also includes the ACT part of Royalla and all the rural territory between the Murrumbidgee River and the NSW border. It had a population of 21 at the 2016 census.[1] The part in NSW had a population of 63 at that census.[2]

The part of Williamsdale[3] in NSW[4] is itself split up by two Local Government Areas, in the north to Queanbeyan–Palerang and in the south to Snowy Monaro.

Geology

To the east of Williamsdale is the Williamsdale Volcanics. These are made up from blue-green crystal tuff. The crystals are sized from 0.3 mm to 1 mm and are embedded in a fine matrix. Quartz crystals make up 25%, plagioclase 5%, alkali feldspar 10%, biotite 5-10% which is altered to chlorite, epidote and leucoxene.

Middle Silurian Colinton Volcanics foliated dacite and tuff is under Williamsdale. A roughly north south band of these acid volcanics extends to the north along the Monaro Highway and then follows the Cooma road to Cottondale. South the volcanics also follow the Monaro Highway in a more complex band through Colinton past Michelago and at least as far south as Bredbo.

To the west of Williamsdale is an outcrop of Upper Silurian Laidlaw Volcanics dark grey rhyodacitic and dacitic crystal tuff. This extends to the west as far as Angle Crossing. This band extends to the north north west as far as Mount Stromlo. The outcrop finishes a couple of kilometres south, but it is also found to the east, with outcrop from Fernleigh in the north, via Burra, and south to Michelago.

On the west side of the Murrumbidgee River around Angle Crossing can be found the Bransby Beds or Goosoon Beds. These beds contain tuff and dacite with some sediments. They form a narrow band extending to the south as far as Cooma following on the east side of the Murrumbidgee River.[5]

See also: Geology of the Australian Capital Territory

Airport proposal

In response to increasing operating costs for general aviation users of Canberra Airport, a proposal was made by the ACT Government in 2005 to develop a dedicated secondary airfield for the Territory.[6] The site recommended was to the west of the Monaro Highway at Williamsdale, and would include aircraft hangars, maintenance and fuel facilities, and a 1000m grass runway. A feasibility study was undertaken by Deloitte Access Economics in 2010. Based on the results of this study, the project anticipated marginal returns on the capital investment required, despite significant demand for such a facility.[7] As of 2012, the ACT government has declined to develop the facility, but has made the cost benefit analysis and feasibility study reports available should private enterprise wish to consider the project.

Solar farm
Willamsdale solar farm

In September 2012, utilities provider ActewAGL was granted an exemption by the ACT Government from having to conduct a further Environmental impact assessment on a plan to construct a 45ha electricity generation facility consisting of 15 photovoltaic solar arrays with a total generating capacity of 20 megawatts and associated infrastructure adjacent to the Monaro Highway at Williamsdale.[8] The land to be occupied by the proposed solar farm was acquired by ActewAGL in 2009,[9] and was considered preferable to an alternative site in the West Belconnen district.[10]

The project was later reduced in scope to 11.8 megawatts. It was approved in January 2016 by the ACT Planning Minister, Mick Gentleman.[11] Subsequently, Elementus Energy which had owned the project sold it to a subsidiary of Melbourne-based Impact Investment Group, and the German company ib vogt GmbH was contracted for the construction.[12] The first solar panel was installed in October 2016.[13] Construction was completed in October 2017. It uses a single axis sun-tracking system.[14][15]

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References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Tuggeranong (SA2)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Williamsdale". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  3. "Williamsdale". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  4. "Williamsdale". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  5. Henderson, G. A. M.; Matveev, G. (1980). Geology of Canberra, Queanbeyan and Environs (Map). 1:50000.
  6. "Williamsdale Airfield". Economic Development Directorate (ACT). 21 March 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  7. "Williamsdale Airfield Cost Benefit Analysis" (PDF). Deloitte Access Economics. 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  8. "Willamsdale Solar Facility Application for s211 Exemption Consideration Report" (PDF). ACT Government. September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  9. "ACTEW land an option for ACT Solar Farm". ACTEW Water. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  10. Towell, N (22 January 2013). "Push for capital's second solar farm". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  11. McIlroy, Tom (29 January 2016). "Solar farm approved for Williamsdale". Canberra Times. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  12. Raggatt, Matthew (12 June 2016). "Tree felling continues after Elementus sells Williamsdale solar farm". Canberra Times. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  13. Connery, Georgina (25 October 2016). "One down, 34,999 photovoltaic panels to go at Williamsdale Solar Farm". Canberra Times. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  14. "Government unveils 36,000 new solar panels at Williamsdale". The Canberra Times. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  15. "The Impact Investment Group's Williamsdale Solar Farm". Diamond Energy. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
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