Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel administrators sell off $1m in equipment

STEP right up, $1 million worth of gear must go as administrators for Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel flog off plant and equipment.

ADMINISTRATORS of Clive Palmer’s embattled Queensland Nickel are flogging off “$1 million in equipment”, while a union boss says senior people at the Townsville company could face criminal charges if allegations coming forward are proven.

Three 2014 Freightliner trucks, painted in the Palmer United Party’s signature yellow colours, are among a range of equipment being auctioned later this week.

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Advertisements for the auction describe the equipment as “surplus to requirements”.

Sources said the trucks, as well as some dump trucks, compactors, an excavator and a grader, could be valued at $1 million, but the mining downturn meant there was already a glut on the market. “The trouble is when the bargains are there, no one has the cash,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Australian Workers’ Union boss Ben Swan said staff had raised “serious allegations” with the union, which had been passed on to administrators to investigate.

“If they are established and proven there is a very real prospect that people could be prosecuted, not just civilly, but criminally,” he said.

Clive Palmer dining in Southport this week. Pic: Glenn Hampson

Mr Swan’s comments ­follow The Courier-Mail revealing administrators had called for staff to come forward with information and ­suspicions regarding their investigations into insolvent trading and shadow directors at the company.

In a presentation to creditors, administrators said that they had received some tips and that “every lead will be investigated”.

Administrators and the union said anonymity and confidentiality of informants would be respected.

The auction comes as the Yabulu nickel refinery was hit by a “minor explosion” yesterday morning, which caused damage to one of its roasters.

A spokesman for Queensland Nickel’s administrators, FTI Consulting, said no one was injured in the incident, believed to be caused by the build up of uncombusted hydro-­carbons.

The spokesman said that the roaster would remain offline while the incident was investigated, but the rest of the refinery continued to operate as normal.