Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney
New focus on Abbot Point expansion
The Queensland Government has moved to end uncertainty over the proposed expansion of the Abbot Point coal port.
It was becoming abundantly apparent industry was not supportive of the multi-cargo facility (MCF) put forward by the previous Labor Government, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said.
“As a government we have a responsibility to ensure that any plans for the port at Abbot Point take into consideration the short and long-term needs of industry.”
Instead of the MCF, the Newman Government will immediately focus on development of the T2 and T3 terminals and an extension of the existing T1 facility.
In the long term, the government will work with the industry to provide additional capacity at Abbot Point.
“We consider that expansion at Abbot Point should be incremental. We will proceed with T2 and T3 and will discuss with industry what additional capacity is needed as that expansion is underway,” Mr Seeney said.
“The pr oposals outlined by the Bligh Government were unrealistic and undeliverable. They were never going to come to reality.”
Mr Seeney said the recent Federal Government decision to push the approval process for Abbot Point back to the end of 2012 indicated that the T4-T9 and MCF proposals might never pass the regulatory approval process.
“The significant scale, complexity and potential impacts of the proposed infrastructure are extensive and it would be many years before the whole of the planned additional capacity would realistically be warranted.”
“Our focus on T2 and T3 is a more practical and efficient approach to expansion of infrastructure at Abbot Point,” Mr Seeney said.
