Wiggins Island coal terminal and rail developments approved

Queensland’s new $3.5bn Wiggins Island Coal Terminal had been given the green light for development, after the coordinator-general approved the environmental impact statement subject to conditions, infrastructure minister Paul Lucas said yesterday (Thursday, January 10). The three-stage terminal has been designed to cope with up to 84m tonnes a year, and more than 20 coal companies have expressed interest in the extra capacity. The Central Queensland Ports Authority and Queensland Rail plan to spend $1.3bn on Wiggins Island first stage, plus another $2.2bn in later stages. The first stage is expected to be completed by 2012. &#8220It has the potential to boost Gladstone’s coal exports by up to a third, or 25m tonnes, and generate up to $1.8bn in export earnings annually,&#8221 Mr Lucas said. &#8220Wiggins Island will greatly enhance Queensland’s ability to get our number one export across the seas to 33 potential markets.&#8221 The Wiggins Island Coal Terminal will now go before the Commonwealth Government for final endorsement. Construction could begin early in 2009, subject to the resolution of environmental issues at the federal level. From Saturday, the State Government will seek public comments on the associated Moura Link-Aldoga rail project, west of Gladstone and Calliope. A substantial upgrade to the area’s rail system was originally part of the Wiggins Island Coal Terminal proposal. However, QR outlined a new corridor to move coal to Gladstone Harbour after community concerns about additional coal trains were raised. &#8220The proposal is to now build a new track for coal trains from the Moura Short Line west of Calliope, to the North Coast Line southeast of Mt Larcom,&#8221 Mr Lucas said. Plans include a new a maintenance yard and locomotive provisioning facility near Aldoga and a doubling of track capacity &#8211 from two to four &#8211 on the North Coast Line between Aldoga and Wiggins Island.

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