Published Today at 09:43 AM
Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations
The Honourable Jarrod Bleijie
Proposed $1.9 billion steel and manufacturing investments to supercharge Queensland jobs
- The Crisafulli Government declares three major steel industry projects Prescribed Projects to supercharge jobs and economic growth.
- Projects would boost Queensland’s local steelmaking, recycling and manufacturing capability and reduce reliance on imported steel.
- More than 2,000 construction jobs and more than 550 operational jobs supported across the three projects.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering more jobs and better services through a stronger economy after a decade of decline under Labor.
The Crisafulli Government is backing almost $2 billion in private investment in Queensland’s steel, recycling and manufacturing industries, with three major projects declared Prescribed Projects to help drive jobs, investment and economic growth.
The Alter Steel Mill Project, Swanbank Steel Mill Project and Sims Metal Pinkenba Redevelopment Project will together deliver more than $1.9 billion in private-sector investment and support thousands of construction and operational jobs across Queensland.
The projects represent a major opportunity to strengthen Queensland’s sovereign industrial capability and build a more integrated local supply chain that recovers, processes and reuses recycled metal in Queensland.
They would also help strengthen supply chain resilience and support domestic steel manufacturing at a time when Queensland imports a significant proportion of its reinforcing steel and other steel products from interstate and overseas suppliers.
Each project will be assessed on its individual merits.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering more jobs and better services through a stronger economy, by backing investment and supporting industry, after a decade of decline undre Labor.
The three projects include:
- The Alter Steel Mill Project – a proposed investment of $1.05 billion by Equest Steel Pty Ltd, to establish a steel recycling and manufacturing facility on a 23-hectare site at Pinkenba. The project is expected to create up to 600 construction jobs and 216 operational jobs.
- The Swanbank Steel Mill Project – a direct construction investment of $640 million by Future Forgeworks Pty Ltd to develop a new steel manufacturing facility within the NewGen Business Park industrial estate at Swanbank. The project is expected to create more than 400 construction jobs and up to 200 operational jobs.
- The proposed Sims Metal Pinkenba Redevelopment Project – an approximately $215 million investment by Sims in the staged redevelopment of its existing industrial waterfront site at Pinkenba into an integrated metal recycling, processing and logistics hub. The project is expected to support approximately 1,090 construction jobs and 140 operational jobs.
The projects span recycled feedstock recovery, processing, logistics and domestic steel manufacturing.
The prescribed project declarations enliven the Coordinator-General’s powers under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act (1971) to help streamline the rigorous approvals process.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the Crisafulli Government was delivering more jobs and better services through a stronger economy.
“These projects are exactly the kind of private investment Queensland needs to grow our economy, strengthen our industrial base and create thousands of Queensland jobs,” Deputy Premier Bleijie said.
“The Crisafulli Government is backing industry, backing investment and backing Queenslanders because we want to see more things made, securing more jobs and more economic opportunity in Queensland.”
“We are working to build the industrial capability Queensland needs to support housing, construction and major infrastructure for decades to come.
“This is what a stronger economy looks like and by declaring these projects as Prescribed Projects, we are ensuring the Coordinator-General can work across government, with councils, regulators, utility providers and proponents to help streamline the process and fast-track economic growth.”
Member for Clayfield Tim Nicholls said Pinkenba was an ideal location for facilities processing recycled steel into high-quality steel reinforcing products needed for the booming Queensland construction industry.
“Pinkenba has well established port facilities and unsurpassed access to critical transport logistics for State-wide distribution,” Minister Nicholls said.
Alter Steel CEO Paul Zuckerman said the declaration recognised the project’s strategic role in Queensland’s domestic steel supply chain.
“The Alter Steel Mill will strengthen Queensland’s steel supply chain by adding locally, recycled scrap-based steelmaking, to an established reinforcing network already supplying Queensland’s major construction projects and future infrastructure pipeline.” Mr Zuckerman said.
“This declaration will help support timely coordination of final approvals and enabling infrastructure as the project progresses towards early works and construction.”
Future Forgeworks Pty Ltd Managing Director and CEO Rohan Richardson said the declaration would help support delivery of the Swanbank Steel Mill Project.
“The Swanbank Steel Mill Project is a significant investment in Queensland’s sovereign manufacturing capability and is intended to supply reinforcing steel locally from 2028,” Mr Richardson said.
“Prescribed Project status will help coordinate the remaining infrastructure interfaces needed to support timely delivery of the project.”
Sims’ Chief Project and Business Development Officer John Glyde said the declaration was an important step for the proposed Pinkenba redevelopment.
“The proposed Sims Metal Pinkenba Redevelopment Project is intended to strengthen Queensland’s circular economy by expanding our capacity to recover, process and supply recycled metal feedstock for domestic manufacturing,” Sims’ Mr Glyde said.
“Prescribed Project status will support coordinated engagement across government as we continue to progress planning for the staged redevelopment of our Pinkenba site and associated infrastructure interfaces.”
Once delivered, the three projects are expected to support Queensland’s domestic steel supply chain, improve recycling and processing capability, and help meet future demand from housing, construction, transport and major infrastructure projects.
Queensland Coordinator-General Gerard Coggan said the declarations would support a coordinated pathway through complex delivery interfaces.
“Our role is to provide a single point of whole-of-government coordination and support timely resolution of project-critical approvals and infrastructure interfaces,” Mr Coggan said.
“Prescribed Project status does not remove the need for statutory approvals, but it does provide a clear framework to help projects progress efficiently while maintaining all relevant assessment requirements.”
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: Kate Haddan, 0437 334 769