Central Highlands Major Projects
Recently Completed 1 Crinum Mine Recommissioning
2022-2023
2 Emerald Community Kindergarten Expansion 3 Followmont Transport Depot 4 Marist College Extension 5 Jellinbah East Mine Extension
8
19
1
20
24 25
21 Capella
Tieri
26
22 Rubyvale Sapphire Bogantungan
5
Emerald Comet
Anakie
Blackwater Bluff
Dingo
6 Duaringa
Projects Underway 8 CQ Smart Cropping Centre 9 JCU CQ Centre for Rural and Remote Health
3
4
9
10
11
12
11 Allied Health Facility 12 First 5 Years Childcare Centre 13 Emerald State High School Extension 14 Ivy Anderson Village 15 Queensland Beef Corridors
7
Willows Gemfields
14
7 CQ Inland Port
10 Emerald Hospital Upgrade
23
2
6 Queensland Mines and Rescue Services Training Centre
13
17
27
16 SwarmFarm Robotics Manufacturing
18
18 Blackwater Multipurpose Health Service Redevelopment
Springsure
17 Yamala Enterprise Area Feeder Road
Pipeline Projects 19 Australian Robotic Tech Park
15
20 Gregory Crinum M-Block Extension
Rolleston
21 Kestrel West Mine Extension
Bauhinia
22 Valeria Coal Project 23 Iona Agricultural Precinct
28
24 Wilton Fairhill Project 25 Ensham Life of Mine Extension 26 Boomer Range Wind Farm 27 Yamala Enterprise Area Water Pipeline 28 Blackwater South Coking Coal Project
16 Australia
Arcadia Valley Central Highlands
Queensland
It is an exciting time to be doing business in the Central Highlands, with a host of major projects recently completed, underway or in the pipeline for the region.
Recently Completed 1.
Crinum Mine Recommissioning Operational Jobs: 300
Sojitz Blue reopened Crinum underground mine in 2021. Combined with the Gregory open cut operation, production was lifted from 2 million tonnes per annum to 3.5 million.
2. Emerald Community Kindergarten Expansion Value: $2.8 million
Fifty new early childhood education places have been created through the Emerald Community Kindergarten Expansion. The facility incorporates inclusive design features enabling the kindergarten to offer more places for children with special needs.
3. Followmont Transport Depot Value: $5.8 million
Transport and logistics company, Followmont opened its new 2,000 sqm depot in 2021. The expansion will enable Followmont to run refrigerated trucks to service the local horticultural industry.
4. Marist College Extension Value: $7.5 million
Completed in 2022, the Marist College Extension project included a new science building, administration extension and art precinct redevelopment.
5. Jellinbah East Mine Extension Jellinbah has commenced the Central North mine extension, which extended mining activity to the east and expanded the area available for spoil dumping and topsoil placement to the west.
6. Queensland Mines and Rescue Services Training Centre Value: $12 million Construction Jobs: 50
Queensland Mines and Rescue completed construction of the world-class training centre in 2022. The centre includes training and equipment buildings, simulated underground mine with vertical rescue, and four-storey confined space and firefighting training facilities.
7.
CQ Inland Port
Value: $13 million Located at the Yamala Enterpise Area (YEA), CQ Inlant Port is a rapidly developing industrial estate. Integral to the estate is an intermodal freight facility with direct access to the Capricorn Highway and main western rail line. Construction of the intermodal terminal and grain packing facility was completed in 2022.
Projects Underway 8. CQ Smart Cropping Centre
Value: $16.7 million (over five years) The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is creating a world-class research hub for Queensland’s cropping sector at the former Emerald Agricultural College. The innovation flagship will bring together research, development and extension with the latest innovations in agtech and data sciences.
9. JCU CQ Centre for Rural and Remote Health
Value: $10 million (over two years) James Cook University (JCU) will deliver expanded clinical placements for health and medical students and offer tertiary health education and training at the new CQ Centre for Rural and Remote Health. Courses will include nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, psychology (entry) and education.
10. Emerald Hospital Upgrade Value: $11 million
The Emerald Hospital is set to receive a major upgrade to its theatre service and emergency department.
11. Allied Health Facility Value: $2.8 million
A new allied health facility in Emerald will reduce the need for patients to fly to Brisbane for treatment. The clinic will be an extension of the GP Super Clinic, and will include practice rooms, a measurement and assessment room and dedicated training facilities.
12. First 5 Years Childcare Centre Value: $5 million Operational Jobs: 20+
Construction is expected to commence by late 2022 on First 5 Years’ uniquely designed childcare facility. The centre will cater for 92 children from 6 weeks to school age.
13. Emerald State High School Extension Value: $9.4 million
Construction of a new bus interchange was completed in 2022. Further developments currently in planning include a trade training centre, additional learning spaces and administration upgrade.
14. Ivy Anderson Village Value: $4.4 million
Construction has commenced on the Ivy Anderson aged care facility in Springsure. Eight independent living units will provide a space for older people transitioning from their own home to a traditional aged care facility. The village will also include a recreation room, commercial kitchen and caretaker’s residence.
15. Queensland Beef Corridors Value: $134 million
Over 150 kilometres of key beef transport corridors across the Central Highlands will be sealed through the Beef Corridors campaign. The investment will eliminate road disruption and the added logistical costs substandard roads create.
16. SwarmFarm Robotics Manufacturing SwarmFarm Robotics, a pioneer of autonomous farming machinery, is constructing a new manufacturing and office space.
17. Yamala Enterprise Area Feeder Road Value: $12 million
Bonnie Doon Road, a major feeder road to the YEA, will be sealed, creating efficient connection to the agricultural and mining sectors in the southern end of the Central Highlands region.
18. Blackwater Multipurpose Health Service Redevelopment Value: $20 million
The Blackwater Hospital will undergo a major redevelopment, including a new emergency department, aged care units, palliative care beds and relocation of the helicopter pad and emergency entry.
Pipeline Projects 19. Australian Robotic Tech Park Value: $75 million
Robotics Australia Group is proposing to develop a Robotics Tech Park in Emerald to help Australian robotic companies grow, design and test their technology. The facility will take advantage of a brownfield site at the former Emerald Agricultural College and comprise a field testing and demonstration area and an innovation precinct. Project Status: The project is currently seeking Federal and State funding.
20. Gregory Crinum M-Block Extension Gregory Crinum is proposing to move mining to M-Block, an area west of the existing mining area. Open cut methods will be used for the first three years before going underground. The extension will extend operations for up to 20 years.
21. Kestrel West Mine Extension Kestrel has commenced a Feasibility Definition Study of Kestrel West, an area contained on the existing lease. The project will extend the life of the mine to 2049. Project Status: Based on the results of the Feasibility Definition Study, Kestrel will prepare approvals and development options.
22. Valeria Coal Project
Value: $1.5 billion Construction Jobs: 1,400 Operational Jobs: 1,250 Glencore’s Valeria Coal project is an open cut greenfield metallurgical and thermal coal mine development. The project is estimated to produce 20 million tonnes of coal product per annum over its 35 year mine life. Project Status: The project is currently undergoing State and Commonwealth assessment processes. The Terms of Reference are expected to be completed this year, the Environmental Impact Statement in 2023 and project determination in 2024. Depending on the outcome of these processes, construction could begin as early as 2025 and operations in late 2027.
23. Iona Agricultural Precinct Value: $160 million
The precinct proposes to encompass a feedlot, beef processing plant, power generation, by-products facility and a bio nutrient fertiliser plant. Project Status: The project is currently seeking funding.
24. Wilton Fairhill Project Value: $250 million Operational Jobs: 300
Wilton Fairhill is an open cut greenfield metallurgical coal project owned by Futura Resources. Production is expected to be 2.5 million tonnes per annum over its 20 year mine life. The operation will utilise nearby infrastructure, such as that of the Gregory Crinum complex, to process and rail product coal.
28. Blackwater South Coking Coal Project Value: $1 billion Construction Jobs: 500-750 Operational Jobs: 1,200
BMA is proposing to develop a new metallurgical coal mine, Blackwater South Coking Coal project, located adjacent to the existing Blackwater mine. It has an anticipated mine life of 90 years. Project Status: The project has commenced the external approval processes and was identified as a Queensland Government Coordinated Project in 2022. Pending approvals, construction could commence in 2029.
Project Status: Final environmental approvals have been received and the project is awaiting the final investment decision to progress to mining lease grant.
25. Ensham Life of Mine Extension Ensham’s Life of Mine extension proposes to move the underground mining operations to the west. The project will support the existing operational workforce (600) and extend the mine life to 2037. Project Status: The project is waiting on approvals due in the third quarter of 2022, and 2024.
26. Boomer Range Wind Farm Renewable energy company Epuron is investigating the feasibility of a new large scale wind farm, to be located in the Central Queensland Renewable Energy Zone. Project Status: The project is undergoing site selection, initial concept and preliminary investigations.
27. Yamala Enterprise Area Water Pipeline Value: $25 million (Stage 1)
The supply of water is critical for the development of the YEA industrial precinct. Stage 1 of the project will involve the construction of 20 kilometres of pipeline from the Nogoa River (Sunwater’s Nogoa Mackenzie Scheme) to site. Project Status: The project is currently seeking Federal and State funding.
Central Highlands Development Corporation 76 Egerton Street Emerald Q 4720 T F E W
07 4982 4386 07 4982 4068 enquiries@chdc.com.au chdc.com.au
The information has been sourced and compiled by Central Highlands Development Corporation. Every care is taken to ensure the content is current and factual at the time of release. CHDC take no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. Published August 2022.