Infrastructure

Shire of Trayning, Ninghan News 26 October 2021

The Territory Labor Government and Core Lithium have announced construction is underway on the $89 million Finniss Lithium Project ... Construction follows the project reaching Final Investment Decision last month, and Core Lithium successfully raising $150 million from institutional investors and shareholders.

Aurukun mayor Keri Tamwoy was a little emotional at the opening of the town’s new airport terminal last week, paying tribute to her late mother Alison Woolla, of whom the passenger lounge was named in her honour ... Local builder Cameron Herbert is thrilled with the final product ... Mr Herbert makes his own concrete, the only one to do so in Aurukun, and said he was thrilled he could use locals to help with construction.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, and the Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Olympics, the Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, have signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for the provision of state services to Norfolk Island, marking the beginning of an enduring partnership for the delivery of essential services to one of Australia’s most remote communities.  

The Boards of Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health have jointly agreed to explore a voluntary amalgamation they believe would deliver better health services for the communities of Mount Alexander, and secure Maldon Hospital in its current form for generations to come. The Boards will now commission a proposal that will examine the potential benefits of unification.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) published its submission to the Regional Telecommunications Review 2021. The submission highlighted the concerns of telco consumers living outside Australia’s metropolitan centres and provides insight into phone and internet complaint trends.

NSW is set to attract more than $80 billion of investment, drive deep decarbonisation and establish itself as an energy and economic superpower with the launch of the NSW Hydrogen Strategy ... Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said hydrogen was a huge opportunity for regional NSW. “We know that regional economies are diversifying, and the NSW government’s Hydrogen Strategy is bringing that to life,” Mr Toole said.

Publicly-owned renewable energy generator CleanCo has signed an agreement to join Sumitomo Corporation and its partners on the development of a hydrogen industry in Gladstone.

Design and construction of Clifton’s new reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant is well underway with the purchase of equipment, building water storage tanks and connection pipes.

Shelly Hancock, NSW Minister for Local Government, announces that the NSW government will introduce a population growth factor in the annual rate peg from July 2022 to raise additional revenue for councils to fund key infrastructure in growing communities.

New South Wales is leading the nation’s charge towards a low-emissions energy system after the NSW Government approved stage one of a $1.8 billion transmission  line that would link NSW and South Australia’s energy networks for the first time. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said stage one planning approval had been granted for the NSW Western Section of Energy Connect, a 900-kilometre transmission line that would run from Wagga Wagga to Robertstown in SA, with a spur line to Victoria.

Townsville is a step closer to a huge industry and jobs boost from a proposed advanced manufacturing facility at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct that would refine ore to produce critical materials for use in new-technology batteries. Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles said the proposed Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) had been declared a prescribed project and would support North Queensland’s economic recovery.

City of Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin said council welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to hydrogen production on Eyre Peninsula, further augmenting the State Government’s investment in infrastructure and projects that will support Whyalla as a “mega-green” hydrogen hub.

Emma Pritchard. A proposal by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) to take Grafton Fire Station offline temporarily in the event of staff shortages has fired up the local community, including Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis. As residents angrily expressed their concerns in response to the proposal on the Clarence Valley Independents Facebook page, Mr Gulaptis said he won’t accept any proposal that puts the community at risk.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation has progressed agreements with Laing O’Rourke (Freight Connect) and Acciona CPB Joint Venture (ACACPB JV) for the detailed designs and civil works construction planning for critical sections of Inland Rail in New South Wales. These companies will now seek partnerships with businesses and skilled operators that can support delivery ...

Weipa's solar farm will triple in size as Rio Tinto looks to reduce its reliance on diesel power generation in Cape York. The mining giant has approved a new solar farm and battery storage in a move that will more than triple the local electricity network’s solar generation capacity and help provide cleaner power to Rio Tinto’s operations.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson celebrated the opening of the new 140m state of the art bridge alongside Tamworth Region Mayor Col Murray ... “Manilla currently sees a cavalcade of heavy trucks going right down the main street on a daily basis. This new bridge will change that, breathing new life into the historic town of Manilla,” Mr Anderson said.

Through grant funding provided via the Commonwealth Government's Drought Communities Programme (DCP) Extension new water standpipes have been installed in Eden Valley, Moculta and Mount Pleasant. The standpipes will support those within the council area who do not have access to reticulated water supplies and may have limited access via other sources due to ongoing drought conditions.