Facilitator to pinpoint needs for Abbot Point
Published Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney
The State Government has appointed a facilitator to test coal companies’ appetite to proceed with new coal handling facilities at the Port of Abbot Point.
Mr Barry Golding will begin work immediately.
He has more than 45 years’ experience in the mining industry both locally and overseas and has expertise in project management and infrastructure development.
Mr Golding will meet with coal companies to discuss their immediate and longer term plans and port capacity requirements and do so in conjunction with government officers and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation.
He will report back to the Government later in the year on options about how to best go forward in expanding Abbot Point’s coal handling facilities.
Abbot Point is an important strategic asset for the State and its successful future development will play a key role in Queensland’s future economic growth.
Earlier this year the Newman Government scrapped Labor’s proposals for up to nine coal terminals and a 12-berth Multi-Cargo Facility.
The Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jeff Seeney, said the Government considered those proposals as an unworkable proposition which was never going to stack up commercially.
“The significant scale, complexity and potential impacts of the proposed development and infrastructure were extensive and given current information it would have been many years before the planned capacity would be realistically warranted,” he said.
“The potential environmental impacts of such a large proposal had led to major delays in gaining Commonwealth approvals.
“For this reason the State Government last May scrapped any further support for the proposed development of Terminals 4 to 9 and the Multi Cargo Facility.
“The focus now will shift to the incremental expansion of port capacity to meet any future demand and Government will be indicating its preference for multi-user terminals as a way to meet short to medium term development.
“Our clear preference is to refocus the discussion with industry around locating future port infrastructure in the vicinity of the existing Terminal 1 and the well advanced proposals for Terminals 0, 2 and 3.
“We want to see port capacity built up incrementally in a scaled way to meet the actual demand of miners.
“We believe there are some new opportunities to site stockpiles and other port related infrastructure beside T0-T3 and Mr Golding will be actively discussing this with industry.
Mr Seeney said the purpose of the Abbot Point State Development Area was to reinforce the further development of the regions between Mount Isa, Townsville and Bowen as a triangle of industrial development and mineral processing.
He said that the Government’s clear preference was to see any future port infrastructure developed in a way that ensured that port infrastructure does not compromise the objectives of the SDA by using land in a precinct set aside for industry.
He said this included a number of specific areas in the SDA where proponents had proposed developing coal stockpiles and conveyor systems and would be one of the key issues that Mr Golding would address during his considerations and discussions.
Mr Seeney said scaled back developments at Abbot Point were consistent with the Government’s recently announced preferences for Galilee Basin rail infrastructure development, with proponents to now align their rail plans in one or both of two common rail corridors from the Basin.
He said what was proposed was a west to east common rail corridor for short to medium term connection onto QR National’s existing railways and a south to north common rail corridor to allow for large vertically integrated mining operations in the medium to longer term.
[ENDS] 2 August 2012
Media Contact: John Wiseman – 0409 791 281
BACKGROUND
Barry Golding
Mr Golding has more than 45 years’ experience in the mining industry. He has worked in metalliferous and coal mining in Australia and gold and chrome mining in South Africa. He has expertise in project management and infrastructure development and has held the position of Project Manager for the Gladstone Coal Exporters Executive for over 10 years.
He completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Applied Economics followed by a Master of Economics by Research in 2002. The focus for both degrees was applying cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness techniques to resource management incorporating risk analysis and sustainable development. He was awarded his PhD from the University of Queensland in 2011 for his Doctoral thesis on Metals Energy and Sustainability.
Mr Barry Golding will begin work immediately.
He has more than 45 years’ experience in the mining industry both locally and overseas and has expertise in project management and infrastructure development.
Mr Golding will meet with coal companies to discuss their immediate and longer term plans and port capacity requirements and do so in conjunction with government officers and North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation.
He will report back to the Government later in the year on options about how to best go forward in expanding Abbot Point’s coal handling facilities.
Abbot Point is an important strategic asset for the State and its successful future development will play a key role in Queensland’s future economic growth.
Earlier this year the Newman Government scrapped Labor’s proposals for up to nine coal terminals and a 12-berth Multi-Cargo Facility.
The Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jeff Seeney, said the Government considered those proposals as an unworkable proposition which was never going to stack up commercially.
“The significant scale, complexity and potential impacts of the proposed development and infrastructure were extensive and given current information it would have been many years before the planned capacity would be realistically warranted,” he said.
“The potential environmental impacts of such a large proposal had led to major delays in gaining Commonwealth approvals.
“For this reason the State Government last May scrapped any further support for the proposed development of Terminals 4 to 9 and the Multi Cargo Facility.
“The focus now will shift to the incremental expansion of port capacity to meet any future demand and Government will be indicating its preference for multi-user terminals as a way to meet short to medium term development.
“Our clear preference is to refocus the discussion with industry around locating future port infrastructure in the vicinity of the existing Terminal 1 and the well advanced proposals for Terminals 0, 2 and 3.
“We want to see port capacity built up incrementally in a scaled way to meet the actual demand of miners.
“We believe there are some new opportunities to site stockpiles and other port related infrastructure beside T0-T3 and Mr Golding will be actively discussing this with industry.
Mr Seeney said the purpose of the Abbot Point State Development Area was to reinforce the further development of the regions between Mount Isa, Townsville and Bowen as a triangle of industrial development and mineral processing.
He said that the Government’s clear preference was to see any future port infrastructure developed in a way that ensured that port infrastructure does not compromise the objectives of the SDA by using land in a precinct set aside for industry.
He said this included a number of specific areas in the SDA where proponents had proposed developing coal stockpiles and conveyor systems and would be one of the key issues that Mr Golding would address during his considerations and discussions.
Mr Seeney said scaled back developments at Abbot Point were consistent with the Government’s recently announced preferences for Galilee Basin rail infrastructure development, with proponents to now align their rail plans in one or both of two common rail corridors from the Basin.
He said what was proposed was a west to east common rail corridor for short to medium term connection onto QR National’s existing railways and a south to north common rail corridor to allow for large vertically integrated mining operations in the medium to longer term.
[ENDS] 2 August 2012
Media Contact: John Wiseman – 0409 791 281
BACKGROUND
Barry Golding
Mr Golding has more than 45 years’ experience in the mining industry. He has worked in metalliferous and coal mining in Australia and gold and chrome mining in South Africa. He has expertise in project management and infrastructure development and has held the position of Project Manager for the Gladstone Coal Exporters Executive for over 10 years.
He completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Applied Economics followed by a Master of Economics by Research in 2002. The focus for both degrees was applying cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness techniques to resource management incorporating risk analysis and sustainable development. He was awarded his PhD from the University of Queensland in 2011 for his Doctoral thesis on Metals Energy and Sustainability.