Steven Boxall, Kelly Vea Vea break ground on Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct

The Bowen Basin is set for a future of innovation and jobs with work underway on a $41m industrial precinct aimed at training, tech, and next-gen industries.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Kelly Vea Vea, Assistant Minister Sean Dillon and RCOE CEO Steven Boxall break ground on Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct.

New jobs and innovation are coming to the Bowen Basin as ground is broken on a new industrial precinct in the heart of a mining community.

The $41m Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct development is finally underway after years of advocacy from the Isaac council and Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) received both state and federal government support.

RCOE CEO Steven Boxall said the “bold” project started with the Isaac Regional Council and RCOE wanting to set the region up for the future.

The Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct is set to be open and operational by 2027.

“The whole purpose of the facility, when it’s open and operational in mid-2027, is about supporting traditional industries in the sector,” Mr Boxall said.

“We want to support the coal sector … through innovation, training, safety initiative but also looking at the bigger picture.”

Ground was broken at the construction site on March 22, 2025 at the corner of Moranbah Access Rd and Railway Station Rd and the state government kicked in $39.7m to fund the project with the federal government contributing $2m.

The Mackay RCOE was promised $5m in funding to stage 2 of it’s development by Labor in the state election. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mr Boxall said over the course of construction he expects up the project will employ up to 100 workers across the site and said once development was finished the precinct will employ permanent staff as well as house industrial tenants and other users.

“The Isaac Resources Excellence precinct has got it’s eye on the industry of today … making sure the Isaac region continues to power the state and region economically through attracting and adopting a whole bunch of different future facing industries,” Mr Boxall said.

Moranbah State High School electrotechnology students during an underground simulation tour at the Resources Centre of Excellence in Mackay.

The Mackay RCOE is an asset where mining companies train their workforces; a function the Isaac Resources Excellence Precinct aims to emulate as well as support research into future opportunities associated with mine site rehabilitation and usage.

Mr Boxall said the new centre would identify opportunities for end of life mines and find new uses to “transform the region to do a whole range of other things”.

“There’s opportunities around future foods, there’s opportunity around data centres, data security,” he said.

“There’s a whole range of things but what’s really important is we don’t get too excited about any one initiative.”

Anglo American operates five steel making coal mines in the Bowen Basin. It has partnered with the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) to create a purpose built VR laboratory.

The development will also include a mining heritage centre, research and development facilities for critical minerals, renewable energy technologies, and a dual sector learning centre that mimics a university campus environment.

Isaac Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said the new development will be “a tremendous asset to our Isaac region”.

“It will provide workers and residents with access to cutting-edge training and technology, helping to create new job opportunities and support economic growth,” Ms Vea Vea said.

“By investing in education and innovation, we’re ensuring that our community can thrive for generations to come.”

The project is expected to be completed and operational by 2027.