Engineering works begin on Wiggins Island terminal

<p>Preliminary engineering works have begun for the proposed new coal terminal at Wiggins Island in the port of Gladstone, with a consultant appointed to carry out the engineering work and to develop an environmental impact statement.</p> <p>Queensland transport minister Paul Lucas said initial studies had included monitoring of the water quality in the Calliope River, assessing vegetation in the proposed rail corridor, and getting an accurate picture of fauna in the region.</p> <p>Wiggins Island Coal Terminal is a declared significant project. The Coordinator-General developed the terms of reference for the environmental impact statement.</p> <p>Mr Lucas said that should the project prove feasible and contract commitments from coal exporters were forthcoming, stage-one could be completed by 2010.</p> <p>The terminal would have an initial capacity of 20m tonnes per annum, servicing new and expanded coal mines in the southern Bowen Basin as well as potential mine developments in the Surat Basin.</p> <p>Gladstone is already one of the largest coal loading ports in the world with almost 43.6m tonnes of coal exported through its two existing terminals in 2004&#4705. </p> <p>The Central Queensland Ports Authority is already engaged in a port expansion program, costing almost $215m that will include lifting the RG Tanna Coal Terminal’s export capacity from 40m to 62m tonnes a year. </p> <br />