More than 100 rail jobs to go at Downer’s Maryborough site after $120m gov contract

More than 100 rail manufacturing jobs will be lost by the end of the year at Downer’s Maryborough site just weeks after a Gold Coast company won a $120m government contract.

Workers inside the Downer Rail Manufacturing Facility at Maryborough. Picture Lachie Millard

Rail manufacturing jobs will be lost at Downer’s Maryborough site as projects reach completion and Queensland Rail rejects future work.

Sources told The Courier-Mail Downer and union representatives met on Thursday morning, where it was revealed of about 525 Maryborough jobs, 35 would be lost by June and 86 others would go before the end of the year.

It is a major blow to the historic regional Queensland town which has become a battleground seat for Labor and LNP.

Since the 2012 state election Maryborough has been a bellwether seat.

However, Downer insisted no final decision has been made and said it was not as a result of Queensland Government contracts.

“The consultation we have commenced with our workforce specifically relates to the cessation of a contract with a private freight operator,” a spokesman said.

“We want to confirm no final decision has been made and we continue to explore opportunities to fill the gap in work in order to ease any impact on our people.”

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union revealed it was in talks with Downer about the workforce of its rail manufacturing operations in Maryborough

“Our union has a long and proud history backing rail manufacturing in this state - particularly in Maryborough, a town built on making things,” Union Queensland and Northern Territory State Secretary Rohan Webb said.

“We are in dialogue with Downer and will continue to advocate for the best possible outcome for each and every one of our members. We will fight to defend their jobs and the community that depends on them.”

“Once you make skilled workers redundant in a regional town, you don’t just lose jobs - you lose the skills, experience and capability that underpin entire industries.”

Manufacturing Minister Dale Last.

The revelation comes after Manufacturing Minister Dale Last told parliament on Thursday morning the 525 jobs were safe.

He trumpeted the under construction Torbanlea train facility nearby, which will build 65 new passenger cars.

“We have said right from day one that those jobs that are attached to this new train manufacturing facility are secure,” he said.

“We need those jobs and the opportunities, the opportunities that come with this new facility in terms of the skills and for those young school leaders down in that community.”

On April 7 the government announced Gold Coast-based company ADCO received a $120m contract to build a new rail maintenance building at Ormeau to maintain the trains built at Torbanlea.

The 20,000sqm rail maintenance Ormeau building would support more than 100 jobs during construction and near 140 jobs when operational.