Deal to get ball rolling on Lansdown works
By Industry Queensland
Townsville City Council has entered a formal agreement to partner with the State Government to deliver a suite of road and rail projects for the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.
Mayor Jenny Hill said this move would get the ball rolling on work expected to cost $16 million in total.
“The State Government will contribute the lion’s share of the funding, with a $12 million commitment,” she said.
“Council will contribute $2 million and a further $2 million will come from the Australian Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program.”
Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said the Palaszczuk Government’s $12 million commitment would deliver road upgrades to improve access for trucks travelling to and from the increasingly busy precinct.
“Developing the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct has the potential to support 160 construction jobs, and around 1600 ongoing jobs in stage one alone,” Mr Harper said.
“Building this enabling infrastructure now will ensure we unlock the precinct’s full economic potential, which will benefit North Queensland for decades.
“We’ve already delivered a $5 million upgrade to create new turning lanes and improve safety on the northern approach to the precinct on the Flinders Highway, so this is the next step for this project.”
The works will facilitate safe access to the precinct and include an intersection realignment at Jones Rd and the Flinders Highway, internal precinct roads, relocation of a rail passing loop and relocation and upgrade of a level rail crossing.
Related: Battery firm seeks offtake support to charge up plans
Queensland Pacific Metals, Edify Energy and Imperium3 Townsville have signed up to establish themselves at the precinct, with DriveItNQ already establishing its driver education and motor sport facility adjacent to the Lansdown site.
The council is continuing to lobby the Federal Government for additional funding, which has become available under the Townsville City Deal, to install additional enabling infrastructure at the precinct and ensure it is ‘turn-key ready.’
