Nov 16, 2018

Tenders called for gas exploration

Explorers will soon be on the hunt for Queensland gas to supply exclusively to local manufacturers. The State Government announced today that tenders have opened for an 18sq km area of land in the Surat Basin gas fields. The Government has stipulated that any gas produced from successful exploration can only be sold to an Australian manufacturer. “We know that an industry affected by the nation’s domestic gas shortage has been manufacturing – an industry which has been crying out for a stable, reliable gas supply,” Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said. “O...

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Nov 15, 2018

RCR Tomlinson project workers reassured on entitlements

Workers at five Queensland solar farm projects have received assurances wages and conditions will be covered if solar construction company RCR Tomlinson fails. Electrical Trades Union QLD NT state secretary Peter Ong said officials had visited the Haughton, Emerald, Collinsville, Clermont and Darling Downs sites, where project owners had given commitments to cover those responsibilities. “We...

Nov 15, 2018

New rehabilitation monitoring technology takes off

Mining companies are able to gain a birds-eye view of how well plants are growing in their rehabilitation areas with drone technology from a Central Queensland business. CQG Consulting (CQG), with its business partner Dynamic Spatial Solutions (DSS), has stepped it up a notch by using drones to capture normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) data to measure live green vegetation, determine c...

Nov 15, 2018

Company investigates turbine fire

Ratch Australia Corporation has begun an investigation into a turbine that caught fire near Ravenshoe on Tuesday. Ratch spokesperson Simon Greenacre said it was likely to take some weeks to get to the bottom of the cause of the fire, at the company’s Windy Hill wind farm, which lasted just over an hour. “We’re eager to confirm the cause as we’ve experienced 18 years of operation without incident,&...

Nov 15, 2018

Gladstone port plan released

A master plan to ensure the long-term growth of the Port of Gladstone, while protecting the Great Barrier Reef, has been released by the State Government. Member for Gladstone, Glenn Butcher, said the release of the plan marked a major milestone. “The Port of Gladstone is Queensland’s largest multi-commodity port and an important economic hub contributing significantly to regional jobs and the sta...

Nov 15, 2018

Santos wins gas exploration approval

Santos has been given the green light by the State Government for further exploration in the key gas-producing Surat and Bowen basins. Santos has joined forces with Shell in a 50-50 partnership to explore an area of about 400sq km near Surat. The company said the area was immediately south of the Wallumbilla hub, meaning the joint venture could take advantage of existing infrastructure, therefore ...

Nov 15, 2018

Work starts on recycled water re-use scheme

Early works on Townsville’s recycled water re-use scheme are due to begin next week, with site preparation to be carried out along sections of the corridor in Annandale. Pipes will be laid in conjunction with the separate Southern Suburbs Rising Main sewer upgrade The scheme is a key plank in Townsville City Council’s three-point water security solution and includes re-using water for public parkl...

Nov 14, 2018

Sun Metals announcement expected by year’s end

An announcement on a decision to expand the Sun Metals zinc refinery at Townsville is expected by the end of the year, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told Parliament this week. The $380 million expansion is expected to create more than 820 jobs in construction and 100 operational roles. Ms Palaszczuk was speaking of a recent trade trip to Korea, when she met with Sun Metals executives. &...

Nov 14, 2018

Payment times under scrutiny

The North Queensland Civil Construction Association is urging members to make their voice heard in a new nationwide review focusing on the stress to small business from large companies delaying project payments The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell this week announced the payment times review, including a survey for small businesses to fill out. (Click...