Gladstone Engineering Alliance hosts Major Industry and Energy Conference
Outspoken resources chair, Ian Macfarlane has blasted the state treasurer and spoken about coal’s role in the renewable energy future at an industry event in Central Queensland
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Industry heavyweights have converged on Gladstone to discuss the energy future of Central Queensland and economic opportunities which lay ahead for the Port City.
Outspoken Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane used his platform to blast State Treasurer Cameron Dick, claiming he is “killing the golden goose” by implementing Queensland’s controversial new royalties tax.
Representatives from the Gladstone Area Water Board, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Future Industries, Inter-Port Global and many other corporations presented to a room of more than 200 attendees about decarbonising, embracing the hydrogen industry, and how collaboration between sectors would have long term benefits for the region.
Mr Macfarlane said Gladstone remained the “last true industrial city” and said Central Queensland did the stuff that mattered when it came to powering and funding Australia’s future.
“Australian resources are the pathway to the net zero world ... if you want to see what happens when you get it wrong, look at Europe right now where choices in the coming winter will be made between jobs and keeping warm,” Mr Macfarlane said.
He said Australia was in the “race of its lifetime” for hydrogen and green energy, and declared it would take time, a lot of money, and cooperation amongst industry and government to be successful.
It comes as Gladstone Area Water Board chief operating officer Hugh Barbour revealed 80 per cent of the region’s water was reserved for industrial use as major employers were heavily reliant on the reliability of its only major water source.
Mr Barbour also gave an update on the Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline, which is in its procurement phase.
Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development and the 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target by 2030, Lance McCallum, also presented to the room where he announced a collaboration with CS Energy and GEA.
The two organisations will partner to deliver a supply chain mapping project which will assess the existing and required service operations to work on new wind energy development in Central Queensland.
The Bundamba MP — who holds a Masters of Climate Policy and Sustainability — said instead of importing materials, he anticipates the State will build 2000 wind turbine towers, 25m solar PV models, and 7000 wind turbine blades over the next 13 years.
Mr McCallum said the government was keen to engage with local businesses for the emerging wind industry.
He also estimated more than 1100 apprentices and trainees would graduate from Queensland’s four dedicated hydrogen training centres in the coming years.
Both Inter-Port Global’s John Abbott and Everald Compton AO — who chairs the Gladstone-Goondiwindi Railway project — slammed the bottleneck on the maligned Inland Rail, and pressed the necessity to utilise Gladstone’s Port for international competitiveness and domestic efficiency.
Mr Compton said the Inland Rail project ran the risk of providing “no value whatsoever” to rural Australia if it did not give direct access to Gladstone’s Port.
More to come.
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Originally published as Gladstone Engineering Alliance hosts Major Industry and Energy Conference
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