Mt Isa Line Receives Government Boost
The Mount Isa Rail line will get a $6 million upgrade to bolster flood resilience on the critical freight route.
The upgrade will take place along roughly 320km of the line, starting just west of Hughenden and continuing right through to near Cloncurry.
Works include bridge abutment and scour repairs in nearby drains and creeks, stonework including gabion flood protection to embankments, and further drainage and cleaning works as required.
Work is expected to take place along the line until October.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the works would encourage freight operators and the resource industry to use the rail line, which connects the mineral-rich province to the Townsville Port.
The project will support about 30 workers with 10 workers from each of three regional Queensland businesses – Morton’s Earthmoving, Townsville Earthmoving and Schwartz Excavations – will be involved in the project.
About two thirds of the workers will stay in Julia Creek, while the rest will be accommodated in Richmond, and all the materials for the project will be sourced locally – providing a much needed injection for the community.
Glencore’s Queensland Metals chief operating officer Matt O’Neill said their North Queensland operations had a long history of moving product and commodities via the Mount Isa Line, from Mount Isa and Cloncurry to their Townsville Copper Refinery, and through the Townsville Port to overseas markets. “As a true mine-to-market business, we are active at every stage of the commodity supply chain and we welcome initiatives from the Queensland Government that address cost and improve reliability on the Mount Isa Line,” Mr O'Neill said.
“The distance to transport products in North Queensland is significant and transportation makes up a large portion of the cost of delivery to our customers, both in the domestic and export markets.
“We are pleased to see this scheme encouraging a shift towards rail as a real alternative to road transport along the Mount Isa rail corridor.”
Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the incentive scheme would help exports at a time when the State needed them the most.
“QRC’s own recovery strategy pointed to the Mount Isa rail line as a key economic corridor for regional jobs and contributor to the billions of dollars in royalty taxes paid to Government from our resource exports,” Mr Macfarlane said. MMG Dugald River welcomed the investment from the Queensland Government to help make rail a more competitive option in North Queensland.
“At Dugald River, we remain open to exploring opportunities for optimising our supply chain, and commitments like this from the Queensland Government will be of benefit to us and our local communities,” an MMG spokesperson said.
The upgrade will take place along roughly 320km of the line, starting just west of Hughenden and continuing right through to near Cloncurry.
Works include bridge abutment and scour repairs in nearby drains and creeks, stonework including gabion flood protection to embankments, and further drainage and cleaning works as required.
Work is expected to take place along the line until October.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the works would encourage freight operators and the resource industry to use the rail line, which connects the mineral-rich province to the Townsville Port.
The project will support about 30 workers with 10 workers from each of three regional Queensland businesses – Morton’s Earthmoving, Townsville Earthmoving and Schwartz Excavations – will be involved in the project.
About two thirds of the workers will stay in Julia Creek, while the rest will be accommodated in Richmond, and all the materials for the project will be sourced locally – providing a much needed injection for the community.
Glencore’s Queensland Metals chief operating officer Matt O’Neill said their North Queensland operations had a long history of moving product and commodities via the Mount Isa Line, from Mount Isa and Cloncurry to their Townsville Copper Refinery, and through the Townsville Port to overseas markets. “As a true mine-to-market business, we are active at every stage of the commodity supply chain and we welcome initiatives from the Queensland Government that address cost and improve reliability on the Mount Isa Line,” Mr O'Neill said.
“The distance to transport products in North Queensland is significant and transportation makes up a large portion of the cost of delivery to our customers, both in the domestic and export markets.
“We are pleased to see this scheme encouraging a shift towards rail as a real alternative to road transport along the Mount Isa rail corridor.”
Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the incentive scheme would help exports at a time when the State needed them the most.
“QRC’s own recovery strategy pointed to the Mount Isa rail line as a key economic corridor for regional jobs and contributor to the billions of dollars in royalty taxes paid to Government from our resource exports,” Mr Macfarlane said. MMG Dugald River welcomed the investment from the Queensland Government to help make rail a more competitive option in North Queensland.
“At Dugald River, we remain open to exploring opportunities for optimising our supply chain, and commitments like this from the Queensland Government will be of benefit to us and our local communities,” an MMG spokesperson said.