The Central Queensland regional coal industry is on track to receive a major boost following “conditional approval” for a QR project linking the Moura-Gladstone line with the Aldoga Industrial precinct north of Gladstone. Signing off on the EIS, Queensland Coordinator-General Colin Jensen recommended that the $500 million Moura Link-Aldoga Rail Project can proceed “subject to a range of conditions”.
“The new line would carry rail traffic from Moura and Surat in the south, diverting rail traffic through less-populated areas to the immediate north of greater Gladstone, to the existing North Coast line south-east of Mount Larcom,” Jensen said.
“This will ensure a quick, direct link between the coal fields and the industrial centre, with minimum impact to the population centre of Gladstone.
“The benefits for both industry and residents are that coal will be transported more efficiently, and noise and coal dust impacts will be minimised.”
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh sais that projects such as this are needed to keep up with growing demand in the coal industry, “no matter who owns the infrastructure that transports coal to Queensland’s ports”.
“The Moura Link and Aldoga Rail Yard are key pieces of infrastructure in the Central Queensland regional coal supply chain,” Bligh said.
“Construction could begin late next year on the project which includes a new rail link from the Moura Short Line into the Aldoga Industrial precinct north of Gladstone, and a rolling stock maintenance yard and provisioning facilities at Aldoga in the north of the Gladstone State Development Area.
“The North Coast line, just east of Yarwun, will also effectively quadruple in size to ensure more efficient movement of coal and freight in and out of Gladstone.”
The Moura-Aldoga project will be developed in parallel to, and service, a number of facilities, including the proposed new Wiggins Island Coal Terminal in the Port of Gladstone.
Subject to a formal development approval by Gladstone Regional Council and the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, and finalisation of some operational works approvals, construction is expected to begin in late 2010/early 2011, with operations starting two years later.
 
