FEDERAL Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, has foreshadowed more economic activity and jobs in Central Queensland in light of Adani opening a business centre in Rockhampton.
Adani's business centre will support recruitment and local businesses contracting to its Carmichael mine project in the Galilee Basin and it will also help facilitate a $100 million rail contract with Australian-based Martinus Rail.
"I spent years fighting for the Adani project because it means delivering jobs and economic activity for regional Queensland," Mr Canavan said.
"Around 150 people are already employed at the Carmichael site while more are employed at the company's headquarters in Townsville. Now there will be more direct jobs and contractor jobs."
The Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, said the latest developments were great news for CQ and would be "welcome" milestones.
"We fought so hard to have Adani's project approved because of all the economic benefits it will provide. The Rockhampton Business Centre means immediate jobs, and the opportunities for local contractor businesses will mean further flow on job opportunities in the Capricornia electorate," Ms Landry said.
It is believed Martinus Rail, part-owned by a Malaysian civil engineering company which has worked with Adani in the past, will operate from the new business centre.
Martinus Rail will build a 200klm link from the existing Aurizon rail network allowing coal to be shipped from the mine site to Adani's Abbot Point coal terminal outside Bowen. Managing director Treaven Martinus said they were keen for regional communities to get the benefit of the Carmichael project.
Adani CEO Lucas Dow said the company had awarded more than $450 million worth of contracts for the Carmichael project since they were given the go-ahead earlier this year.
In another matter, Adani has won a court order banning an Indigenous activist and his son as well as others with "similar interests" from setting foot on any part of the Carmichael mine site. It follows suggestions one of the activists' relatives planned to recruit protesters to fight the Adani mine plan, using a camp in the Galilee Basin as their base.
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
