Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today with some further good news on job creation in my electorate of Capricornia. BMA has awarded a local firm a $31 million contract to remove decommissioned marine infrastructure from the Hay Point Coal Terminal, near Sarina. Central Queensland business, Walz Construction Group has won the contract and the project will employ up to 20 people. The company will remove the original trestle and conveyor that have transported coal from a land terminal to waiting bulk carrier ships for more than 40 years. This infrastructure dates back to 1971 and has since been replaced by new technology. I was on hand with BMA Asset President, Rag Udd, at Hay Point recently to announce details of the project. Starting next month, December 2016, crews will work from barges to dismantle the 1.8 kilometre trestle. About 6,500 tonnes of steel will be transferred ashore for recycling. The project is scheduled to take 18 months.

This project follows further good news that I touched on in the House previously. Adani Energy Company will invest $200 million into construction of a solar farm near Moranbah, creating up to 1,000 new jobs over various phases of the project. This is at a time when coal prices are also on the rise.