Qld jobs: $23b mega projects offer 6.6k jobs but need private investment

Queensland has $23 billion in mega projects in the pipeline that will deliver 6600 new jobs. Only there’s one major obstacle, and it’s not the coronavirus. SEE THE MASSIVE LIST

QUEENSLAND has $50 billion in new roads, rail, mines and other infrastructure in the pipeline for the next five years with major public sector works greenlit but private investment well and truly in the “maybe” basket, a major report card released exclusively to The Courier-Mail shows.

Significant projects such as inland rail, Gold Coast light rail stage 3, Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro and upgrades to the Pacific Motorway and Bruce Highway, and essential water infrastructure developments are all under way or close to starting, the Queensland Major Projects Pipeline 2020 report shows.

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But private investment is badly lagging, and with it the 6600 extra construction jobs riding on the megaprojects getting off the drawing board, awaiting cash, the report from Queensland Major Contractors Association and the Infrastructure Association of Queensland said.

The report says there are 222 projects worth at least $50 million each across the state, totalling $50.6 billion, in the pipeline from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Of that, $27.4 billion is funded and ready to go but another $23.2 billion is still awaited.

While the report says Queensland has plenty of opportunities and reasons to be optimistic – including being well placed to supply the world with green exports and renewable power – it also warns without government making it more attractive for the private sector to sign up to big projects, jobs are at risk.

“The high proportion of unfunded major project work is reflected in the labour force outlook, should a ‘worst case scenario’ occur with respect to all unfunded projects, then the workforce outlook becomes negative with an expected drop in employment in the later years of the pipeline,” it says.

“In this scenario, workforce demand would not surpass the peak of 15,800 fulltime-equivalent roles in 2019-20 and would drop to 8506 fulltime-equivalent roles by 2023-24.”

Site works on the Cross River Rail Project at Woolloongabba.

On the “optimistic” flipside, if all the projects were funded, demand for workers would increase 40 per cent, even though that would create a supply problem as Queensland competes with the massive amount of infrastructure being built in New South Wales and Victoria.

“We are delighted to see significant growth in the pipeline, with works totalling $50.6bn scheduled between 2019-20 and 2023-24,” QMCA chief executive Jon Davies said.

“However, there is still an element of risk around the total figure as $23.2bn of work is not funded at this stage. This is mostly down to planned resources and energy projects which take considerable time to plan, fund and gain approval.

“Overall there are reasons to be optimistic, with many major projects such as Inland Rail, Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro and upgrades to the M1, Bruce Highway and essential water infrastructure developments beginning in earnest.

“There is also good news for regional Queensland with significant increases in funded work in the pipeline for the Darling Downs-Maranoa, Townsville and Fitzroy regions, with smaller increases for the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Cairns regions.”

Brisbane Live is part of the Cross River Rail development.

Co-authors the Infrastructure Association of Queensland said there are "reasons to be optimistic" and the current coronavirus uncertainty shows why we need a plan for the future.

The report says coming to terms with climate change offers Queensland the chance to protect its tourism and farming economy as well as making money from green energy and mining the state’s deposits of minerals needed for the renewables industry.

It also points to the 2032 Olympics bid as a great catalyst to lift business confidence.

"The 2032 Olympics bid is still strongly supported by IAQ as a platform for step changing Queensland’ global reputation and injecting dollars to uplift much needed infrastructure to support our population growth,” IAQ chief executive Priscilla Radice said.

“Pandemics are a shocking global reality, but we need to keep an eye on the horizon as we navigate the current storm.”

An artist’s impression of Gold Coast light rail stage 3A at Burleigh Heads

WHERE THE MONEY IS

222 project worth at least $50m each

$50.6B in the pipeline from 2019-20 to 2023-24

$27.4B funded and ready to go

$23.2B on the drawing board waiting for cash

MEGAPROJECT JOBS

15,700 direct jobs in 2017-18

16,300 direct jobs in 2019-20

22,900 projected in 2021-22

WHERE THE JOBS ARE

Extra workers needed between 2019-20 and 2012-22:

4800 rail

2000 coal

1900 water

1200 roads and bridges

Jos losses:

2100 telecoms

900 electricity

WINNERS AND LOSERS

GREATER BRISBANE

Investment: $7.3b

Sectors driving growth: Roads and rail

IPSWICH, TOOWOOMBA, LOGAN AND BEAUDESERT

Investment: $5.3b

Per cent unfunded: 34

Sectors driving growth: Roads, rail and water

GOLD COAST

Investment: $1.8b

Per cent unfunded: 42

Sectors driving growth: Roads and rail

DARLING DOWNS & MARANOA

Investment: $6.2b

Per cent unfunded: 44

Sectors driving growth: Resources, rail and renewables

SUNSHINE COAST

Investment: $1.6b

Per cent unfunded: 0

Sectors driving growth: Roads, rail and airport

FITZROY

Investment: $4.5b

Per cent unfunded: 32

Sectors driving growth: Defence, roads, coal and renewables

OUTBACK

Investment: $5.2b

Per cent unfunded: 94

Sectors driving growth: Roads and renewables

CAIRNS

Investment: $1.1b

Per cent unfunded: 30

Sectors driving growth: Roads, rail and harbours

TOWNSVILLE

Investment: $3.6b

Per cent unfunded: 53

Sectors driving growth: Water, roads, minerals, defence and harbours

MACKAY/ISAAC

Investment: $10.2b

Per cent unfunded: 71

Sectors driving growth: Coal and rail

WIDE BAY

Investment: $2.6b

Per cent unfunded: 63

Sectors driving growth: Water and roads

THE MEGA PROJECTS

BRISBANE & MORETON BAY

Population: 1,808,3663

Where the jobs are: Transport infrastructure – road and rail

Funded projects:

Cross River Rail ($5bn)

Pacific Motorway North Segments ($360m)

Brisbane New Parallel Runway Phase 2 ($380m)

Kingsford Smith Drive Upgrade ($440m)

Brisbane Metro ($650m)

Gateway Motorway Stage 3: Bracken Ridge to Pine River ($781m)

Unfunded projects:

Lindum, Beams Rd, Coopers Plain Level Crossing Removals ($150m)

GOLD COAST

Population: 639,418

Where the jobs are: Transport infrastructure – road and rail

Funded projects:

Pacific Motorway South Segments ($629m)

Gold Coast Runway Upgrades ($100m)

Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A – Broadbeach to Burleigh ($500m)

On the drawing board:

Gold Coast Desalination Plant Expansion ($300m)

Varsity Lakes to Elanora Rail Extension ($470m)

Jabiru Island Bridges (Hope Island Road Oxley Drive) Road Duplication - Stage 4 ($102m)

SUNSHINE COAST

Population: 385,011

Where the jobs are: Transport Infrastructure – Road and Rail

Funded projects:

Bruce Highway; Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway ($442m)

Bruce Highway; Caboolture to Steve Irwin Way Package 1&2 ($500m)

Bruce Highway - Maroochydore Road Interchange Upgrade ($180m)

Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade ($440m)

Sunshine Coast Airport - New East-West Runway ($240m)

IPSWICH, TOOWOOMBA, LOGAN AND BEAUDESERT

Population: 866,444

Where the jobs are: Transport infrastructure – road and rail, water

Funded projects:

Inland Mainline Freight Upgrade - Gowrie to Kagaru ($3bn)

Inland Mainline Freight Upgrade; Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton ($107m)

Ipswich to Springfield Rail ($1.1bn)

Warrego Highway upgrades between Ipswich and Toowoomba ($272m)

Pacific Motorway Segments ($460m)

Ipswich Motorway: Rocklea to Darra Stage 1 ($240m)

Beaudesert Water Supply Zone Projects Stage 1 and 2 ($120m)

Southern Sewage Treatment Ipswich ($136m)

On the drawing board:

Wyaralong Dam WTP Stage 1 ($150m)

Somerset Dam Upgrade ($450m)

Cunningham Highway - Yamanto Interchange to Ebenezer Creek ($241m)

Centenary Hwy Bus and Bridge Projects ($340m)

DARLING DOWNS/MARANOA

Population: 128,969

Where the jobs are: Gas development within resources, rail and renewables

Funded projects:

Inland Mainline Freight Upgrade - NSW/QLD Border to Gowrie ($1.4bn)

Bulli Creek Solar Farm ($525m)

Roma East Gas Project (pipeline component, $113m)

Arcadia Gas Project ($200m)

GLNG Roma East project ($375m)

Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Field Development (Sustaining), Arrow - Upstream Field Development (Sustaining), Gas Project Goog-a-binge ($400m)

Surat Gas Expansion Projects ($1.5bn)

On the drawing board:

Western Surat Gas Project ($1.2bn)

New Acland Stage 3 Expansion ($210m)

Wilkie Creek ($200m)

FITZROY

Population: 225,890

Where the jobs are: Defence, roads, coal, renewables and water

Funded projects:

Rockhampton Ring Road ($750m)

Singapore Force Posture Initiatives - Shoalwater Bay ($400m)

Shoalwater Bay – Remediation ($120m)

Lower Fitzroy River Infrastructure Project - New Weir at Rookwood ($195m)

Rodds Bay Solar Farm ($123m)

Port of Gladstone - RG Tanner Coal Terminal ($200m)

Queensland Curtis LNG Upstream Field Development (Sustaining), Gladstone LNG Upstream Field Development (Sustaining)

On the drawing board:

Comet Solar Farm ($172m)

Styx's Coal project ($270m)

Gladstone Energy and Ammonia Project ($600m)

Rolleston Expansion ($280m)

Port of Gladstone - Second Shipping Lane ($196m)

OUTBACK

Population: 82,513

Where the jobs are: Roads and renewables

Funded projects:

Mt Isa to Rockhampton Corridor Upgrade ($238m)

Aldoga Solar Farm ($120m)

On the drawing board:

Aldoga Rail Yard ($280m)

Wiggin’s Island Coal Rail Stages 2 and 3 ($815m)

Mt Isa to Townsville Rail ($320m)

Minyango Coal Project Stage 1 ($600m)

Belvedere Coal Project ($500m)

Cannington Expansion ($120m)

Kidston Solar Project – Stage 2 ($140m)

Kidston Transmission Project ($100m)

Kidston Pumped Hydro Storage Project ($200m)

Oaky Creek Longwall Stage 2 ($455m)

Merlin Molybdenum-Rhenium Phase 2 ($250m)

Baralaba South Open Cut ($160m)

Curtis LNG Project (Salt Concentrator) ($150m)

Australia Pacific LNG Salt Handling Facility ($160m)

Copperstring Transmission Line ($1.5bn)

TOWNSVILLE

Population: 237,258

Where the jobs are: Water, roads, minerals, defence and harbours

Funded projects:

Burdekin Falls Dam - Saddle Dam and Monolith Improvement ($210m)

Gorge Weir to Byerwen ($180m)

Bruce Highway - Haughton River & Pink Lily Lagoon Upgrade ($298m)

Tennant Creek to Townsville Corridor Upgrade ($180m)

North Queensland Bio Energy - Ethanol Plant ($200m)

On the drawing board:

SCONI Scandium Project ($304m)

Burdekin Falls – Hydro Electric Power Station ($120m)

Majors Creek Solar Project ($224m)

North Queensland Power Station ($600m)

Hells Gate Dam - Upper Burdekin ($250m)

Townsville Port Expansion Project - Outer Harbour Expansion ($150m)

Bruce Highway - Ingham to Cardwell Range Deviation ($345m)

WIDE BAY

Population: 299,655

Where the jobs are: Roads and water

Funded projects:

Cooroy to Curra: (Section D) – Southern D1 ($422mn)

Cooroy to Curra: (Section D) – Northern D2 ($326m)

On the drawing board:

Urangan Boat Harbour ($200m)

Paradise Dam Primary Spillway Improvement Project ($658m)

Maryborough Coal ($180m)

South Burnett Coal Project incl. Transport Corridor ($500m)

CAIRNS

Population: 254,420

Where the jobs are: Roads, Rail and Harbours

Funded projects:

Cairns Southern Access Corridor Stage 3 - Edmonton to Gordonvale ($300m)

Cairns Southern Access Corridor Stage 5 - Foster Road intersection ($162m)

Smithfield Bypass ($106m)

Cairns Ring Road ($251m)

Mt Emerald Wind Farm ($133m)

Port of Cairns - Cruise Terminal Expansion - Trinity Inlet Dredging ($86m)

On the drawing board:

Red Dome Mungana ($215m)

Powering North Queensland Transmission Line ($128m)

MACKAY/ISAAC

Population: 173,119

Where the jobs are: Coal, rail and renewables

Funded projects:

Clarke Creek Wind ($525m)

Bruce Highway - Sarina to Cairns - Mackay Ring Road / Bypass - Stage 1 ($215m)

Bruce Highway - Mackay Ring Road Stage 2 - Mackay Port Access Road ($228m)

North Galilee Basin Rail ($900m)

Peak Downs Hwy Improvements - Eton Range ($120m)

Carmichael Coal Mine Project ($978m)

On the drawing board:

Bruce Highway - Goorganga Plains Upgrade ($248m)

Arrow Bowen Pipeline ($360m)

Eagle Downs Coking Coal ($600m)

Grosvenor Underground Stage 2 ($350m)

Peak Downs Expansion ($345m)

Hail Creek Extension – Underground ($660m)

Olive Downs ($600m)

Middlemount Coking Coal Mine Stage 2 ($284m)

Eaglefield Coal Mine Expansion ($1.2bn)

Ironbark No. 1 Coal Project ($280m)

Drake Coal ($280m)

Millennium Expansion ($320m)

Winchester South ($900m)

Moranbah North ($400m)

Source: Queensland Major Projects Pipeline 2020 produced by the Queensland Major Contractors Association and the Infrastructure Association of Queensland