Despite continued debate over whether Indian coal giant Adani’s Carmichael coal mine and rail project should go ahead, the miner has signed an $82 million deal with Ausrtrak to supply concrete sleepers from Rockhampton for the project’s rail line.
The deal was announced late last week, with Queensland’s rural economic development minister Bill Byrne saying Austrak would triple its workforce to more than 80 at Rockhampton, to deliver the contract.
Austrak, a vertically-integrated business which designs, produces, and supplies sleepers and related equipment, will supply Adani with more than 730,000 concrete sleepers to help build Carmichael’s 388 kilometres of standard gauge rail line.
The line will connect the mine in central western Queensland to the company’s bulk coal handling port at Abbot Point near Bowen.
“Adani advise this contract will mean Austrak will triple its workforce to more than 80 and generate up to 30 supply chain jobs, and provide job security for the two-year life of the contract,” Byrne said.
The minister, who is also the local member for Rockhampton, noted the contract was a piece of good news for the region, coming just days after operator Aurizon announced it would be closing its Rockhampton worksite, where over 100 are employed.
Byrne said Aurizon had assured the Queensland Government that all entitlements would be paid to workers affected by the closure.
He said the Department of State Development was working with Aurizon, other employers and unions to help workers transition to new employment or training.