Ministerial Statement: Callemondah commissioning a boost for Blackwater System

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Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
20/04/2008

Callemondah commissioning a boost for Blackwater System

QR has commissioned a $40 million third rail spur at Callemondah yards near Gladstone to improve reliability across the Blackwater Rail System, Minister for Transport John Mickel said today.

"This project was planned in coordination with the RG Tanna Coal Terminal expansion and with the construction of the third unloading pit.

"QR continues to work with its supply chain partners to identify requirements, such as this project, that will help the Blackwater coal supply chain increase supply" he said.

"This collaboration is vital to meeting the increasing global demand."

Minister Mickel said that recent statistics released by the Department of Mines and Energy show that Queensland coal exports had grown 6.14% in the year to November 2007, indicating that the supply chain is taking action.

"Through supply chain meetings and the master planning process, QR is participating with these partners to deliver increased capacity, and to improve reliability of the rail network," he said.

"The Callemondah Third Rail Spur project is one such project, which will minimise congestion around the unloading pits at the port by improving movement of the trains between Callemondah and the pits.

QR CEO Lance Hockridge said this project was a significant undertaking as it involved the construction of 4.1 kilometres of track and seven new locations to divert trains to different tracks for unloading and returning to mines, creating significantly increased flexibility.

"The project scope also includes the extension of the No. 2 Arrival Road to the port which will be finished by October this year.

Impressively, the project was delivered on time despite significant delays due to wet weather, Mr Hockridge said.

"We only achieved 10 to 20% of planned work on the project in January and February this year due to the significant wet weather experienced in the region," he said.

"But the project team were able to turn it around so we could reach the April commissioning date."

Mr Hockridge said that the Callemondah project was detailed in the 2006 Coal Rail Infrastructure Master Plan, which details agreed infrastructure works across the coal systems.

"The master planning process is a robust and ongoing process that identifies capacity requirements and infrastructure options that enable the supply chain to meet growing demand for coal exports.

"Consultation on the Second Edition of the 2007 Master Plan is underway."

Please visit www.qr.com.au/coalrail for more information on QR coal rail infrastructure projects.

Further Information QR Coal Rail Program 1800 033 881

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