MILLION MANHOUR MILESTONE, INJURY FREE
Published Tuesday, 11 September, 2007 at 12:04 PM
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today went 70m underground to inspect progress on the Gold Coast Desalination plant at Tugun and mark a major milestone – one million manhours worked without time lost for injury.
Ms Bligh met workers at the desalination plant’s inlet and outlet tunnels, which are almost under the Gold Coast Highway - the “home straight” that will meet the vertical shaft recently dug by workers on the marine team 1.2km out to sea.
She viewed the tunnel system, which features its own mini train-track and tiny locomotives that take workers to and from the tunnel face to the desalination plant. Both tunnels are scheduled for completion by mid June 2008.
“Reaching 1 million hours injury-free within the construction industry is a mammoth safety effort in itself. To achieve this on a project that involves complex tunnelling, heavy construction and difficult marine works activity makes today even more significant,” Ms Bligh said.
“This is the Smart State at work. In the space of just eight months, this former public tip has been transformed into what will be an integral piece of infrastructure for 2.2 million people in SEQ.
“It’s a credit to the workforce and all Queenslanders owe them a big pat on the back.
“The project is now 33% complete and the million-hour milestone clearly demonstrates that even on a complex, fast-moving project like this, progress doesn’t have to come at the expense of safety.”
Ms Bligh said the SEQ Water Grid is taking shape at a phenomenal rate. “Last month, recycled water started flowing to Swanbank, taking pressure off the Wivenhoe system and freeing up the average daily drinking requirements of a town the size of Ipswich,” she said.
“Work is now going full speed, with 3500 workers at more than 40 sites across the south-east.
“In a little over a year’s time, this plant will be delivering another important climate-independent source of water that will help to drought-proof SEQ.
“When the desalination plant and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Program are running at full tilt, we will be in the position of being able to supply more than half of our water needs whether it rains or not.”
The Gold Coast Desalination Plant will start delivering 40 million litres (40ML) of water a day upon completion in November next year. At full capacity two months later, that will rise to 125ML. The Government has initiated studies to determine if the plant’s capacity can be expanded a further 37% to more than 170ML a day.
GCDA Project Director, John Pincock, said that an intensive internal safety campaign had played a major role in securing the safety record.
“There are now approximately 800 people engaged in this project who have helped contribute to this significant achievement. We adopted a rigorous on-site safety program at the start of this project and it has paid off,” he said.
“We will celebrate this success as a team over the coming weeks”.
More information: Deputy Premier’s Office, 3224 6900
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today went 70m underground to inspect progress on the Gold Coast Desalination plant at Tugun and mark a major milestone – one million manhours worked without time lost for injury.
Ms Bligh met workers at the desalination plant’s inlet and outlet tunnels, which are almost under the Gold Coast Highway - the “home straight” that will meet the vertical shaft recently dug by workers on the marine team 1.2km out to sea.
She viewed the tunnel system, which features its own mini train-track and tiny locomotives that take workers to and from the tunnel face to the desalination plant. Both tunnels are scheduled for completion by mid June 2008.
“Reaching 1 million hours injury-free within the construction industry is a mammoth safety effort in itself. To achieve this on a project that involves complex tunnelling, heavy construction and difficult marine works activity makes today even more significant,” Ms Bligh said.
“This is the Smart State at work. In the space of just eight months, this former public tip has been transformed into what will be an integral piece of infrastructure for 2.2 million people in SEQ.
“It’s a credit to the workforce and all Queenslanders owe them a big pat on the back.
“The project is now 33% complete and the million-hour milestone clearly demonstrates that even on a complex, fast-moving project like this, progress doesn’t have to come at the expense of safety.”
Ms Bligh said the SEQ Water Grid is taking shape at a phenomenal rate. “Last month, recycled water started flowing to Swanbank, taking pressure off the Wivenhoe system and freeing up the average daily drinking requirements of a town the size of Ipswich,” she said.
“Work is now going full speed, with 3500 workers at more than 40 sites across the south-east.
“In a little over a year’s time, this plant will be delivering another important climate-independent source of water that will help to drought-proof SEQ.
“When the desalination plant and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Program are running at full tilt, we will be in the position of being able to supply more than half of our water needs whether it rains or not.”
The Gold Coast Desalination Plant will start delivering 40 million litres (40ML) of water a day upon completion in November next year. At full capacity two months later, that will rise to 125ML. The Government has initiated studies to determine if the plant’s capacity can be expanded a further 37% to more than 170ML a day.
GCDA Project Director, John Pincock, said that an intensive internal safety campaign had played a major role in securing the safety record.
“There are now approximately 800 people engaged in this project who have helped contribute to this significant achievement. We adopted a rigorous on-site safety program at the start of this project and it has paid off,” he said.
“We will celebrate this success as a team over the coming weeks”.
More information: Deputy Premier’s Office, 3224 6900