New $7.1m Manufacturing Centre of Excellence for Maryborough

Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher and Bruce Saunders joined Manufacturing Skills Queensland in Maryborough on Wednesday to announce a new $7.1 million skills and training facility.

Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher and Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders joined Manufacturing Skills Queensland in Maryborough on Wednesday to announce the state government would build a new $7.1 million skills and training facility there.

Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher and Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders joined Manufacturing Skills Queensland in Maryborough on Wednesday to announce the state government would build a new $7.1 million skills and training facility there.

A statement from the minister’s office said the “Manufacturing Centre of Excellence would give local workers and jobseekers the skills they needed to fill training gaps within identified sectors with a strong focus on upskilling more workers to support Queensland’s significant investment in train manufacturing”.

The $9.5 billion Queensland Train Manufacturing Program will see 65 six-car passenger trains manufactured at a purpose-built manufacturing facility at Torbanlea, supporting 1300 jobs throughout the life of the project.

Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher (pictured) and Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders joined Manufacturing Skills Queensland in Maryborough on Wednesday to announce the state government would build a new $7.1 million skills and training facility there.

“The Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will provide world class facilities that could skill workers in advanced machining, CNC, robotics and augmented welding, along with integrating extended reality (virtual, augmented, and mixed),” the government statement read.

“Downer have come on board as a foundation member of the Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, partnering with Manufacturing Skills Queensland to deliver training in advanced manufacturing,” it said.

“This will provide sustainable, long-term and local training opportunities that will support train manufacturing and industries in the manufacturing supply chain across the Fraser Coast region, developing job opportunities and providing a lasting legacy for the region.”

Regional Development and Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher said trains would be made by Queenslanders for Queenslanders.

“The LNP sent train manufacturing offshore and imported trains that were not compliant with disability standards,” he said.

Maryborough Labor MP and Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing, Regional Development and Jobs, Bruce Saunders said his party was not “just manufacturing trains here in Maryborough, we’re creating a lasting legacy for our region’s industry that will deliver good local jobs for generations to come”.

“Queensland’s Big Build is booming, so this new facility will put Maryborough - and the locals who’ll benefit - at the front of the queue for the good manufacturing jobs we’re creating,” he said.