Published Thursday, 17 May, 2007 at 01:58 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
BIG GUN ROLLS IN FOR SEQ GRID
Caboonbah, near Esk: An American-built giant is the latest weapon keeping the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project on time – the T1660 magnum chain trencher.
Premier Peter Beattie and Deputy Premier Anna Bligh this morning undertook an aerial and on-ground inspection of key parts in South East Queensland’s Water Grid.
“We are spending more than $9 billion on the Grid and it is important that the people of Queensland realise its scale,” Mr Beattie said.
“This is enormous. Our $9 billion investment in South East Queensland almost matches the Federal Government’s Murray Darling response - $10 billion across four states.
“We have an army of more than 2500 workers busily building the Grid ensuring our short and long-term water security.
“I want to thank everyone one of them for their effort. Residents and businesses are playing their role in cutting water use and these men and women are getting on with the job securing our water supplies.”
“They are working at more than 30 sites across the South East,” he said.
The Premier and Deputy Premier dropped into KP70 - a strategic pipe stockpiling point along the route of the $1.7 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, near Esk.
On site there is around six kilometres of pipe – about 1000 pipe lengths - ready to be laid. Also on site are associated fittings, collars and rings.
“The advanced water recycled project is the largest of its kind in Australia and the third largest in the world,” the Premier said.
At KP65 they witnessed the operation of the largest magnum chain trencher in Australia.
Mr Beattie said the T1660 magnum chain trencher is an 800 horsepower machine – measuring 16 metres long and weighing 143 tonnes – equivalent to about 70 Landcruisers.
“It is the biggest machine of its type in Australia and the second biggest in the world,” he said.
The T1660 is built in Tennessee and arrived at Caboonbah on Tuesday. It can dig trench depths up to 7.7 metres. On the Western Pipeline it will be cutting up to 1.5 metre wide trenches.
“We are working at world-record pace on this project and this machine further improves our productivity to make sure we deliver on time,” said Ms Bligh.
“Pipelaying on our Grid is at present on target – more than 700 metres a day – and above our predictions.
“Pipelaying will be delivered in advance of the regulated date,” she said.
Their aerial inspection also took in the Oxley Pump Station, Wivenhoe Dam, North Beaudesert Balance Tank, Bundamba Advanced Wastewater Treatment plant and the pipeline from it to Swanbank Power Station.
“By the end of August, the Swanbank pipeline, will deliver up to 20 ML a day of water that otherwise would have been drawn from our drinking supplies.”
ENDS
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Media contact: 3224 6900
Premier Peter Beattie and Deputy Premier Anna Bligh this morning undertook an aerial and on-ground inspection of key parts in South East Queensland’s Water Grid.
“We are spending more than $9 billion on the Grid and it is important that the people of Queensland realise its scale,” Mr Beattie said.
“This is enormous. Our $9 billion investment in South East Queensland almost matches the Federal Government’s Murray Darling response - $10 billion across four states.
“We have an army of more than 2500 workers busily building the Grid ensuring our short and long-term water security.
“I want to thank everyone one of them for their effort. Residents and businesses are playing their role in cutting water use and these men and women are getting on with the job securing our water supplies.”
“They are working at more than 30 sites across the South East,” he said.
The Premier and Deputy Premier dropped into KP70 - a strategic pipe stockpiling point along the route of the $1.7 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, near Esk.
On site there is around six kilometres of pipe – about 1000 pipe lengths - ready to be laid. Also on site are associated fittings, collars and rings.
“The advanced water recycled project is the largest of its kind in Australia and the third largest in the world,” the Premier said.
At KP65 they witnessed the operation of the largest magnum chain trencher in Australia.
Mr Beattie said the T1660 magnum chain trencher is an 800 horsepower machine – measuring 16 metres long and weighing 143 tonnes – equivalent to about 70 Landcruisers.
“It is the biggest machine of its type in Australia and the second biggest in the world,” he said.
The T1660 is built in Tennessee and arrived at Caboonbah on Tuesday. It can dig trench depths up to 7.7 metres. On the Western Pipeline it will be cutting up to 1.5 metre wide trenches.
“We are working at world-record pace on this project and this machine further improves our productivity to make sure we deliver on time,” said Ms Bligh.
“Pipelaying on our Grid is at present on target – more than 700 metres a day – and above our predictions.
“Pipelaying will be delivered in advance of the regulated date,” she said.
Their aerial inspection also took in the Oxley Pump Station, Wivenhoe Dam, North Beaudesert Balance Tank, Bundamba Advanced Wastewater Treatment plant and the pipeline from it to Swanbank Power Station.
“By the end of August, the Swanbank pipeline, will deliver up to 20 ML a day of water that otherwise would have been drawn from our drinking supplies.”
ENDS
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Media contact: 3224 6900