The massive new rail infrastructure project – which is expected to create up to 4000 jobs – was given the green light after the five coal companies reached commercial terms with QR.
The project had been delayed after the global financial crisis eroded coal company confidence, but was put in motion again in October last year after two coal companies backed the project despite not having the majors sign on the dotted line.
Friday’s announcement that the big coal companies had come to the party has cemented the future of the project.
The GAP project includes the 69-kilometre Northern Missing Link, which connects the Goonyella coal rail system to the Newlands rail system, as well as upgrades to the Newlands system.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said completion of the Northern Missing Link was targeted for January 2012.
QR Network executive general manager Michael Carter said earthworks would start next month at three locations to prepare the new rail corridor for the Northern Missing Link. These include two sites outside Glenden at Cerito Road and near Lancewood Camp, and a third site at the head of the Newlands rail system, about an hour from Collinsville.
He said a site office would be established in Merinda, near Bowen, and that the project would be delivered through an alliance model.
“We will combine our specialist rail design and engineering capability with companies that can bring civil engineering, construction and signalling expertise to the project,” Carter said.
Bligh said the project would align with the $845 million expansion of Abbot Point port to support up to 50 million tonnes per annum.
“Last month, QR was swamped when hundreds of people came to employment workshops in Bowen and Mackay to express their desire to be involved in this great development opportunity for central Queensland,” she said.
“To help deliver the project QR will need workers with a wide variety of skills ranging from labourers, concreters, surveyors and plant operators to engineering and administrative staff.”
Source: www.constructionindustrynews.net