Annastacia Palaszczuk opening up Townsville office to meet with CopperString investors

Annastacia Palaszczuk will be opening up an office in NQ. See why she wants a new base up north.

Claudia Brumme-Smith, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Scott Stewart at the Townsville Enterprise lunch talking about energy and jobs announcements at The Ville. Picture: Annette Dew

Annastacia Palaszczuk will be opening up a new office for herself in Townsville to make it easier for energy sector investors to access the Premier.

Premier Palaszczuk made the announcement on the heels of the news that the Queensland Government would own and deliver the $5bn Copperstring 2.0.

The new office of the Premier will make use of existing space in the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s space on Flinders Street.

A spokesman for the Premier said moving into the existing Department office meant there was no new office lease or rental costs.

Refurbishment costs were still to be determined, and the spend would come from the ministerial services budget, the spokesman said.

Annastacia Palaszczuk with Aaron Harper and Scott Stewart, spruiking the Queensland Energy and jobs plan.

The new office recognised the growing importance of North Queensland and Townsville as “the renewable manufacturing epicentre between the rest of the world and the largest renewable energy zone in the nation”, Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Premier had been in Townsville for numerous events this week while convening regional cabinet, including turning the sod for the construction of a TAFE expansion and announcing a vanadium battery factory.

Bohle TAFE will give students in the skills needed for Queensland’s hydrogen industry, while vanadium is a critical mineral used in the construction of grid-level batteries.

The 1100 kilometre transmission line from Townsville to Mount Isa looks to be a $5b project; six years of construction, three million man hours, 1900 steel towers and 75,000 tonnes of cement.

The cost includes the buy out of the private company which was first running the project, CuString.

The new office in Townsville would allow direct access for investors to take advantage of CopperString and renewable energy opportunities, Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Townsville is at the centre of the booming North-West energy sector. And will be the economic powerhouse of the north,” the Premier said.

The state is using a $500m down payment from coal royalties to ramp up its CopperString plans, and have contracted builders UGL and CPB to start work.

Townsville MP and Resources Minister, Scott Stewart, said the “transformational” CopperString announcement meant the city “is on the up and up”.

Mr Stewart said he would push for more government agencies to set up shop in Townsville.

Originally published as Annastacia Palaszczuk opening up Townsville office to meet with CopperString investors