Wagners picked to build Adani airstrip at megamine

TOOWOOMBA construction materials company Wagners will build a major airstrip near the proposed Adani coal mine to transport fly-in, fly-out workers.

TOOWOOMBA construction materials company Wagners will build a major airstrip near the proposed Adani coal mine to transport fly-in, fly-out workers.

CEO Cameron Coleman confirmed the business was the winner of the tender for the private airstrip in the Galilee Basin.

While Mr Coleman could not reveal the value of the agreement, the project is estimated to cost about $30 million and will be jointly-funded by Rockhampton Regional Council and Townsville City Council.

"We've been pricing that job now for about four years," he said.

"The agreement was signed last year - it was back in the last quarter, about November.

"The reality with the Adani job was it was an extremely long tender process.

"It would be one of the longest tender processes in my time at Wagners."

HAPPY DAYS: Wagners CEO Cameron Coleman and construction materials general manager John Stark, who are both long-term employees at the company, celebrate the successful float of the business on the ASX in Sydney. Picture: Tom Gillespie

The job is expected to require about 70 workers, with some coming from the Toowoomba area.

But Mr Coleman said the contract wasn't in effect until Wagners received a start date from Adani.

"Before the contract commences, we are required to receive a notice to proceed and we have not received that," he said.

"It's imminent, however we have not yet received that notice."

Several arms of the business will be used during construction, including the quarry, road maintenance and airport construction crews.

The Crime and Corruption Commission yesterday asked the Local Government Department to investigate the decision by the Townsville City Council to fund the project.

It followed a complaint from businessman Philip Batty, who said the contract had been awarded without due process by the council.

But Mr Coleman said Wagners' agreement was solely with Adani.

Originally published as Wagners picked to build Adani airstrip at megamine