Published Wednesday, 02 May, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
ARMY OF WORKERS ON TARGET FOR WORLD RECORD
2 May 2007
Gibson Island: Construction of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project is surging towards a world record as work started on another critical component of the $9 billion SEQ Water Grid, Acting Premier Anna Bligh said today.
Ms Bligh today inspected first-stage works on the Gibson Island Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, near the mouth of the Brisbane River at Murrarie.
“Construction is accelerating rapidly. More than 750 workers are now on sites at both ends of the 200km project and at the three others sites in the middle,” Ms Bligh said.
“Teams are pulling out all stops and on some sites going around the clock. They know we are in a race against time
“The WCRWP is the largest project of its kind in Australia and the third-largest in the world. It would normally take five to seven years and we will deliver in less than two and a half.
“When it peaks, an army of more than 1000 workers will be going flat out to build this project in what engineering experts have rated as world record time.”
Ms Bligh said a review by international engineering consultants Evans and Peck said the $1.7 billion WCRWP would set new global benchmarks for delivery of a project of this scale and technology.
The WCRWP will deliver purified recycled water to Tarong and Swanbank power stations and into Wivenhoe Dam. Advanced water treatment plants are being built at Gibson Island and Luggage Point, near the mouth of the Brisbane River, and at Bundamba.
They will be the only ones in Australia using the combination of micro-filtration and reverse osmosis membrane technologies to ensure water of the highest standard.
Sophisticated construction techniques on the WCRWP include under-river tunnelling and the use of imported micro-tunneling machines to go under roads and railway lines with minimal disruption to the community.
The system is connected by 200km of pipeline being laid from the mouth of the Brisbane River to Caboonbah, north of Esk, where crews have been laying pipe that will deliver water to Tarong.
The Gibson Island plant has more than 75 workers, with this number to rise to nearly 300 in months.
“We have workers from all over the world, including the United States, South Africa, United Kingdom and India joining locals to make this happen,” said Ms Bligh.
“They are part of the team of almost 2000 workers at more than 30 sites going flat out to drought-proof south east Queensland.”
The Gibson Island Alliance – comprising MWH Global, Worley Parsons, Baulderstone Hornibrook and United Group Infrastructure - estimates that 9000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured in the next six months for structures, slabs and tanks. More than 700 piles - including three sections per pile - will be driven.
Meanwhile, the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment on the WCRWP’s Luggage Point to Bundamba section will be released tomorrow.
It will be open for community input until May 31.
At the end of the process, input from the public will help to ensure the most appropriate methods of construction were used.
Media Contact: Deputy Premier’s office 3224 6900
Gibson Island: Construction of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project is surging towards a world record as work started on another critical component of the $9 billion SEQ Water Grid, Acting Premier Anna Bligh said today.
Ms Bligh today inspected first-stage works on the Gibson Island Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, near the mouth of the Brisbane River at Murrarie.
“Construction is accelerating rapidly. More than 750 workers are now on sites at both ends of the 200km project and at the three others sites in the middle,” Ms Bligh said.
“Teams are pulling out all stops and on some sites going around the clock. They know we are in a race against time
“The WCRWP is the largest project of its kind in Australia and the third-largest in the world. It would normally take five to seven years and we will deliver in less than two and a half.
“When it peaks, an army of more than 1000 workers will be going flat out to build this project in what engineering experts have rated as world record time.”
Ms Bligh said a review by international engineering consultants Evans and Peck said the $1.7 billion WCRWP would set new global benchmarks for delivery of a project of this scale and technology.
The WCRWP will deliver purified recycled water to Tarong and Swanbank power stations and into Wivenhoe Dam. Advanced water treatment plants are being built at Gibson Island and Luggage Point, near the mouth of the Brisbane River, and at Bundamba.
They will be the only ones in Australia using the combination of micro-filtration and reverse osmosis membrane technologies to ensure water of the highest standard.
Sophisticated construction techniques on the WCRWP include under-river tunnelling and the use of imported micro-tunneling machines to go under roads and railway lines with minimal disruption to the community.
The system is connected by 200km of pipeline being laid from the mouth of the Brisbane River to Caboonbah, north of Esk, where crews have been laying pipe that will deliver water to Tarong.
The Gibson Island plant has more than 75 workers, with this number to rise to nearly 300 in months.
“We have workers from all over the world, including the United States, South Africa, United Kingdom and India joining locals to make this happen,” said Ms Bligh.
“They are part of the team of almost 2000 workers at more than 30 sites going flat out to drought-proof south east Queensland.”
The Gibson Island Alliance – comprising MWH Global, Worley Parsons, Baulderstone Hornibrook and United Group Infrastructure - estimates that 9000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured in the next six months for structures, slabs and tanks. More than 700 piles - including three sections per pile - will be driven.
Meanwhile, the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment on the WCRWP’s Luggage Point to Bundamba section will be released tomorrow.
It will be open for community input until May 31.
At the end of the process, input from the public will help to ensure the most appropriate methods of construction were used.
Media Contact: Deputy Premier’s office 3224 6900