Palaszczuk announces $4m budget spend on Port of Mackay

The money will finish renovations at Wharf Five, boosting capacity at the port and offering up manufacturing opportunities for Paget businesses.

Exporters and manufacturers across Mackay are expected to benefit from a $4m budget spend on the Port of Mackay.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stopped by Sugar Terminal Limited’s Shed 4 to herald the spend and praise the record exports the port has shipped this year.

“Because Queenslanders did such a great job in relation to the way we dealt with Covid, our exports kept going, our people kept working,” she said

The money will go towards completing renovations at Wharf Five, which are expected to boost capacity and provide manufacturing opportunities for businesses across the region.

“This $4m upgrade will see the western approach deck to Wharf Five removed and replaced, building better infrastructure for the port,” Ms Palaszczuk said, adding the project would support 30 Mackay-based jobs.

(From left to right) Health Minister Yvette D'Ath, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, North Queensland Bulk Ports CEO Nicolas Fertin and Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert visit Shed 4 at the Port of Mackay on May 31. Record exports have gone through the port this year and Premier Palaszczuk said the good results would be reflected in June's budget. Picture: Duncan Evans

Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert said the renovations would help the port chalk up new records.

“It is only going to get better,” she said.

The Port of Mackay exports sugar and grain and imports fuel and with sugar prices at $600 a tonne, the port is expected to smash records this year.

The port has already exported more than 3m tonnes of goods, a 24 per cent increase on the same time last year.

Queensland has exported more than $94bn in goods and Ms Palaszczuk said the boom meant Queenslanders would enjoy “good news” in the upcoming budget.

“We’ve had record exports for Queensland this year and what that means is there should be good news in our budget that is coming up next month that will be handed down by the treasurer,” she said.