Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals plans to purchase old Aurizon workshops in Rockhampton
She sat around Anna Bligh’s Cabinet table when this asset was sold, but now Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is promising to try and buy it back in an election pitch to secure hundreds of jobs.
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Labor is trying to buy back an asset that was sold by the Bligh Government when Annastacia Palaszczuk sat around the Cabinet table, in an election pitch to bring hundreds of jobs to Central Queensland.
The Premier on Thursday revealed her government had entered negotiations to secure the land at the old Aurizon workshops in Rockhampton, which would serve as a supply chain for train manufacturing.
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Transport Minister Mark Bailey could not guarantee that they would actually buy the facility, but claimed they were “confident” about the process as he acknowledged the site was “very valuable”.
The site was sold in 2010 as part of the Bligh Government’s massive asset sales, which Ms Palaszczuk apologised for when she was opposition leader.
Ms Palaszczuk said their plan for Rockhampton had the potential to create 550 additional jobs, with negotiations to secure the land kicking off before caretaker period began.
“When I’ve been here with (Rockhampton MP) Barry (O’Rourke) on previous occasions, we’ve actually driven around this site and I’ve said to Barry ‘we need to utilise it’,” the Premier said.
“21 hectares – smack bang in the middle of Rockhampton. We have a clear plan to grow this region and grow the jobs.”
If the government is successful in its bid to reclaim the asset, the purchase price is expected to remain hidden from taxpayers for commercial in confidence purposes.
Mr Bailey said the government had been negotiating in recent times to secure the site, saying they were “very confident about this process”.
“That’s a matter for negotiation that’s ongoing and a matter of commercial in confidence, but it is going very well and we’re confident about it,” he said when quizzed about the purchasing price.
“Obviously there’s specific infrastructure here that is particular to rail manufacturing that makes this site very valuable and it’s one that we’re very keen to come to an agreement on.”
Labor held onto the Rockhampton electorate at the 2017 poll with a margin of 5.2 per cent, after fending off a challenge from One Nation as well as from local mayor Margaret Strelow who ran as an independent.
Originally published as Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals plans to purchase old Aurizon workshops in Rockhampton