FINAL PIPE LENGTH IN PLACE IN 218KM BURDEKIN TO MORANBAH PIPELINE

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace today congratulated SunWater management and construction crews on a great job well done as the final length of pipe was laid on the 218 kilometre Burdekin to Moranbah pipeline.

Mr Wallace said workers had battled extreme heat, rugged terrain, isolation and drought to construct one of the largest water pipelines in Queensland’s history.

They made good on their promise to deliver the $270 million pipeline phase of the project before Christmas.

The 20,000 section pipeline will assist the Bowen Basin’s booming coal industry and help ensure continuing prosperity for the region and its people.

“A pipedream turned into a reality – ahead of time and on budget,” Mr Wallace said.

“On behalf of the Beattie Government I want to say good on you

to 320 construction crews which worked 12 hour days on this nation-building project,” he said.

“SunWater crews have literally rewritten the book on pipe laying, with one crew of six men laying up to three kilometres in one day.

“These workers now deserve to put their feet up and have a beer – or two.”

Member for Fitzroy Jim Pearce said he greatly appreciated the hard work of the pipe-laying crews.

“This historic project will help lay the foundation for future wealth from mining for the region,” he said.

Mr Wallace said construction crews would now focus their efforts on the four large pumping stations that will be needed to pump water to the parched Bowen Basin.

The pumping stations will allow water to start flowing along the pipeline by April 2007.

The project will deliver 17,000 megalitres of water per year to the Bowen Basin, with the potential to increase capacity by a further 6000 megalitres annually.

Construction crews joined more than 20,000 lengths of pipe and poured nearly 48000 tonnes of concrete.

Six mining companies - BMA Coal, Macarthur Coal, Carborough Downs Coal, Isaac Plains Coal, Rio Tinto Coal Australia and Excel Coal – entered into an agreement with SunWater to cover the cost of the project via water usage charges over the next 20 years.

Due to the critical water shortages brought on by the State’s long running drought, these miners would have been severely effected by as early as June next year if this pipeline was not constructed in time.

“The Beattie Government fast–tracked the project because it understands its extreme importance to our mining industry, not only for State’s economy, but also in terms of employment for thousands of mine workers in the area,” Mr Wallace said.

“This is even more pertinent now, given the unprecedented boom in export demand for coking coal that we are witnessing at present,” he said.

“I am pleased to say that SunWater and its contractors pulled out all stops for the mines to deliver this water lifeline on time,” he said.

Project Information

• More than 20,000 lengths of pipe weighing 3.6 tonnes each
• More than 20,000 cubic metres of concrete used (48,000 tonnes)
• At peak times 320 construction crews worked 12 hour days, 28 days straight
• Camp cooks provided 900 meals per day and a fleet of 40 4WDs and buses were used to ferry workers to locations along the pipeline route
• More than 2000 truck trips were made from Brisbane to deliver pipes
• Twenty 30 tonne excavators were needed to dig the trenches along the route.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.