Clive Palmer wants to reopen mothballed Townsville nickel refinery

Clive Palmer wants to reopen his mothballed Townsville nickel refinery and says he’s got plenty of cash to do it despite a court freezing his assets.

Clive Palmer speaks to media after attending a hearing at the Supreme Court last month.

Clive Palmer wants his critics to “forget about politics” and allow him to reopen his north Queensland nickel refinery under a new company, despite liquidators suing the businessman to claw back millions following the facility’s 2016 shutdown.

Mr Palmer, who has previously been cautioned against offering “false hope” to north Queenslanders with his repeated suggestions he may reopen the Townsville refinery, today said one of his companies, QNI Resources, had approved plans to do so.

The refinery ceased operating in 2016 following the collapse of another of Mr Palmer’s companies, Queensland Nickel, which cost 800 workers their jobs and left taxpayers to cover $70 million in workers’ redundancy payments.

Mr Palmer today said QNI Resources was ready to reopen the refinery, saying his companies had nearly $500 million stored in Queensland banks.

“What is needed is a positive approach from government to assist the refinery reopening in the shortest possible time,” Mr Palmer, a one-time federal MP, said.

“It is time for all sides to forget about politics and to support the Queensland company that owns the refinery and is debt free to open and operate for the benefit of Townsville and the nation.”

The Queensland Supreme Court last month ordered the freezing of more than $548 million in assets controlled by Mr Palmer, finding the possibility of the businessman making “colourable transactions” posed a “real risk” to justice.