Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to make CopperString announcement
More than $1bn will be brought forward to make CopperString happen sooner rather than later. Here’s why.
Townsville
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The state government has pulled $1.3bn forward to expedite the mammoth Copperstring transmission line.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement in Townsville on Monday after Regional Cabinet was held.
She said key ministers had endorsed the $1.3bn delivery package for the expedited project.
The funds will go to getting equipment that is highly sought after around the world like transformers and reactive plants, and to speed up project planning and approvals.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the delivery package was a key step in “unlocking” $500bn of critical minerals in the North West Minerals Province.
“This will bring low cost, reliable, but more importantly renewable energy to these particular mine sites. Which means mines of about two to 300 workers will be able to get up and get going,” Mr Stewart said.
Fossil fuels were prohibitively expensive for miners, Mr Stewart said, and Copperstring would allow the production of renewable batteries in Townsville as well.
Building Copperstring will require 800 to 1000 workers.
“So there is going to be a lot of jobs available for people right across the north of this state,” the Premier said.
Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said the delivery package was an important signal to investors looking at wind farms and battery manufacturing in North Queensland.
“Today, we’re actually having the money on the table, shovels in the ground by mid-2024, and that will give the confidence for our economy to move forward,” she said.
Powerlink chief executive Paul Sims said the delivery package would take the Copperstring design from 10 per cent complete to 100 per cent.
The package meant a 100-staff project team, and a large portion of the next phase of work would be civil works, like worker camps and access tracks for the 800-1000 construction workers who will need to be housed, he said.
Orders for transformers and reactive plants could take up to four years at the moment and part of the delivery package funds would go to ‘deposits’ on equipment, Mr Sims said.
Powerlink major projects general manager Ian Lowry said a recruitment drive for the 100-staff project team was beginning in Townsville, with Powerlink looking for safety advisers in particular.
‘Green light next steps’: Energy plan to create jobs
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is poised to reveal a major jobs-generating initiative for North Queensland as Cabinet sits in Townsville.
State government ministers are in Townsville on Monday to hold a Regional Cabinet, with a major development in CopperString expected to be announced.
CopperString will connect the North West to the energy grid, connecting towns to the National Electricity Market and give renewable projects in the region a way to contribute to the grid.
The Premier hinted at the news, saying it would “generate good jobs and kickstart a pipeline of opportunities”, however, it remains unclear exactly what will be announced.
The project is expected to dominate Cabinet discussions, with ministers meeting at Pimlico TAFE to discuss the jobs-making project.
The meeting follows more than 100 face-to-face meetings between North Queenslanders and the Premier and ministers on Sunday.
“More than 7,300 jobs have been created in Townsville over the past year, and our government wants to see that momentum continue,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Townsville has the lowest unemployment rate, with just 2.7 per cent of people out of a job.
“We are continuing to invest in job creating big builds, including the transformational $5
billion Copperstring 2032,” The Premier said.
“Townsville is an economic powerhouse, contributing to the progress and prosperity of
North Queensland and our state through its great range of established and emerging
industries.
“Copperstring is a big infrastructure project and part of our Big Build so it’s important we green light the next steps.”
On Saturday, Townsville Enterprise pushed for CopperString early works to be fast tracked.
CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said with the announcement of another mine closing in the North West, it was a “crucial time” to provide confidence to investors.
She said the advancement of early works in CopperString was the first step to providing that confidence.
Treasurer Cameron Dick said CopperString was a key part of developing critical minerals mines in the North West Minerals Province.
“North and North West Queensland are at the heart of our renewable energy
transformation as we extract and add value to the $500bn worth of critical minerals
that lie within the North West Minerals Province,” he said.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said there were “huge opportunities” in Townsville at the moment, and into the future.
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Originally published as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to make CopperString announcement
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