Ministerial Statement: HAVE YOUR SAY ON PLANS FOR PROPOSED SURAT BASIN SDA

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Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
28/05/2010

HAVE YOUR SAY ON PLANS FOR PROPOSED SURAT BASIN SDA

Queenslanders will be able to have their say on a proposal to declare an infrastructure corridor from Wandoan to Banana as a state development area (SDA).

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said a four-week consultation process, starting Monday 31 May 2010, would give Queenslanders the opportunity to comment on a proposed alignment of the new infrastructure corridor.

Once a SDA is declared, potential development for that area is overseen by the Coordinator-General (CG).

"The growing demand for commodities globally has renewed the focus on the development potential of the thermal coal deposits and gas reserves of the Surat Basin in south-west Queensland," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"The declaration of a proposed Surat Basin Infrastructure Corridor could pave the way for a new 210km railway to connect the townships of Wandoan and Banana - proposed infrastructure known as the 'Southern Missing Link'.

"An infrastructure corridor for a rail connection between QR's existing Western Railway and Moura Railway systems in southern and central Queensland could play a critical role in the export of coal from the Surat Basin to the Port of Gladstone.

"The proposed corridor could connect to a new loop of the Moura system, linking it to a realigned section of the Western Railway system.

"It is possible that other infrastructure services such as pipelines or transmission lines may also be developed within the infrastructure corridor in the future, to facilitate possible future development in the Surat Basin."

A private consortium called the Surat Basin Rail Joint Venture (SBRJV) has an exclusive mandate to develop the Surat Basin Railway project.

Under the terms of the mandate, the State Government would acquire and own the railway corridor. If the project is developed successfully through to financial close, the government would then lease the railway corridor to the SBRJV for construction and operation of the railway.

CG Colin Jensen said that if a SDA was declared, a planning scheme would be developed for the land.

"Under the development scheme, the Coordinator-General takes on responsibility for assessing new land uses, including infrastructure proposals, in consultation with other relevant agencies and local governments," Mr Jensen said.

"Where there are existing uses of the land immediately before the development scheme commences, these uses may continue under the development scheme.

"The development scheme for the proposed Surat Basin infrastructure corridor SDA will provide, manage and plan land primarily for an open access railway of regional and national significance, to facilitate economic development."

People can have their say in writing by posting, faxing or emailing their response to:

The Coordinator-General

c/o The Project Manager, Surat Basin Infrastructure Corridor

Regional Development

Department of Infrastructure and Planning

PO Box 15009

City East Qld 4002

fax +61 7 3229 7315

email sbic@dip.qld.gov.au

Further information is available on the department's website or by calling the department: www.dip.qld.gov.au/sbic or 1800 153 262 (free call)

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