» Rockhampton Projects and Infrastruction Under Construction Thread «

[Rockvegas]

Coal barge proposal promises new jobs


CAN you imagine up to 10 barges transporting coal down the Fitzroy River, 24 hours a day, 10km south of the city?

If the proposed Fitzroy Coal Terminal goes ahead this could be a reality by 2011.

Promising hundreds of jobs for the region, Fitzroy Terminal Pty Ltd presented Rockhampton Regional councillors with its $400 million proposal this week.

Director of CQ Environmental, Patrice Brown, told councillors on Tuesday that investigations into environmental impacts like possible coal spillage off the Capricorn Coast were still to be done.

She said conveyors would carry the coal from the proposed terminal, built on existing rail infrastructure, five kilometres to the $15 million barges. There are a number of positions about 10km south of Rockhampton proposed for the conveyor to meet the river.

The coal stockpile, from Blackwater and Moura mines, would not be in flood zone.

But Ms Brown said some of the five kilometre conveyor would be. The conveyor is also likely to be covered, because of coal dust flying into the air.

Barges will transport up to 10,000 tonnes a load to a transhipper about 15 to 20 kilometres out from the mouth of the river.

Construction would start in 2010 and the terminal could start operating by 2011.

The company plans to have landowners' consent and is looking at site options. A complete survey of the river will be done in the next few weeks.

Impact assessment and consultation with traditional owners, recreational fishermen, landowners, Gladstone Harbour Master, environment specialists, government and interest groups will take place over the next six to 12 months.

The Capricorn Conservation Council were contacted for comment yesterday but did not respond.

[Rockvegas]

Building industry looks up in Rocky

Adam Wratten | TMB | 6th February 2009



BRIGHT FUTURE: John Murphy, construction manager with JM Kelly, looks ahead to a bright future in Rockhampton. Find out why Rocky is well placed to ride out the global credit crunch – Page 5.



BLUE skies look to be ahead for Rockhampton's construction workers, such as John Murphy, with more than $1 billion worth of key projects in the pipeline or surging ahead.



As the global economic crunch threatens jobs across Australia, Rockhampton's business and community leaders yesterday said they were very much getting on with the job of building a bright future for the city.


A survey released on Thursday shows businesses in Central Queensland are starting to feel the bite, with 35% of those quizzed in the St George Bank/Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland Pulse Survey of Business Conditions reporting weaker trading conditions during the December quarter.


Yesterday Rockhampton Regional Council mayor Brad Carter said the region's diverse economy would be a key factor in providing an exciting future and helping cushion the blow from the economic downturn.


Cr Carter outlined a number of key projects in the pipeline, and they're not the only ones.


Cr Carter said he was in contact with investors and developers who shared his positive view of the region.


“I am being regularly approached,” Cr Carter said.


“There are a number of investors and developers out there still proposing projects in a very positive sense.


“It's also very pleasing to see The Edge coming to fruition and the Echelon is progressing very well.


“Just before Christmas I was pleased to open the new accommodation units at Seaspray, which is a first-class resort.


“And we recently approved at the Strategic Planning Committee a residential subdivision of 150 lots behind the Causeway Lakes.”


He said a pleasing sign came from the mining industry this week, with major expansion work discussed.


“Council met with Xstrata in relation to plans at Port Alma,” Cr Carter said.


“They indicated while there was a downturn globally in terms of the coal situation, when you take the peaks and troughs out of the graph it still showed growth prospect for steaming coal.


“They are fully committed to pursuing their feasibility study at Port Alma (which could lead to a $1billion port expansion).

“That's come from the industry itself.”


He also said he was working closely with Rockhampton Regional Development Limited to promote the city and make it more attractive to industry.


Council was also playing a leading role.


The mayor said the feedback from the business community was positive about council's new Development Control Unit and council was working hard to look after its workforce, where there wouldn't be any downsizing.

Key Rockhampton businessman Geoff Murphy, whose company, JM Kelly, is working on the $75 million hospital upgrade, yesterday said the city's future was good.


“I think the outlook is very positive,” Mr Murphy said.


“People can make of it what they want. If they want to feel sorry for themselves, that's their choice, but we have plenty to be positive about here ... there's lots happening.”

[Rockvegas]

Demolition time for city eyesore

Nikita Watts | 26th February 2009


DEMOLITION HAS BEGUN: Ray Busby and his team have started demolishing the site of Sisley’s Warehouse at the Churchs’ Buildings to make way for a new seven-storey high-rise.

SEEING is believing.

Demolition has finally started on one of Rockhampton's biggest eyesores.

Busby's Demolition started knocking down the Churchs' Buildings on Fitzroy Street this week as preparations start for the much-anticipated seven-storey hotel/motel development planned for the site.

The owner of Busby's Demolition, Ray Busby, said the demolition process had begun on the historic building by pulling down parts of the roof and clearing out the inside.

“This has all been done in a couple of days,” he said.

“It is a beautiful old building but it also is a stigma on the town.

“When we get rid of everything inside we will get in the machinery and pull it all down, which will take a couple of weeks.

“We've got 12 men working on and off; it's a big job.”

Dean Giannarelli of Melbourne company Southern Capital Corporation, who purchased the buildings from the Churchs family in November 2005, said the company had given the go-ahead to demolish the entire building to get ready for the development.

However, Mr Giannarelli said it was “nowhere near ready” to start building, as there was still documentation to be organised.

“We should be ready to start (building) before the end of the year,” he said yesterday. .

“The best way is to demolish it and start fresh so we are starting to demolish the area and clean it all up.

“The planning and permits are in place for some retail shops and a tavern downstairs.

“We also have a permit for apartments and serviced apartments above that, but that may not be what it is.

“Our options are completely open at the moment, subject to council approval.”

Mr Giannarelli did confirm the development would be a 24-metre, seven-storey high-rise apartment building.

He said it would be completed by the end of 2010, and was confident it would be a landmark building for Rockhampton.

“This is the sort of development Rockhampton needs and will be the start of good development yet to come.

“Whatever we do, we will stick to the same name - the Churchs' Buildings.

“Rockhampton is taking a new step in the right direction.”

A steady deterioration in the site's presentation over the years has prompted some business operators in the area to describe the Churchs' Buildings as “derelict”, and of a “ghetto standard”.

They say the eyesore of a building was hurting their businesses.

Pat O'Driscoll Real Estate principal Pat O'Driscoll said the development was a positive step for Rockhampton.

“Obviously the confidence in the area is being recognised by other groups who live outside the city and the state for that matter,” he said.

“This is a positive point for Rockhampton and you just have to look at the success story of the Edge Apartments, which is building momentum continually and is now near the opening time.

“I'd rather be here than anywhere else.”

[Rockvegas]

Old shed stops $25m project

Kieran Campbell | 30th May 2009

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TIME TO GO: Bob Butler did some of his first Army Reserve training in the old Mount Morgan drill hall and is pleased with plans to relocate it.


THIS heritage-listed shed is standing in the way of Rockhampton's multi-million-dollar luxury hotel at the Fitzroy Street Army Barracks.

The developer of the $25 million five-star hotel says an application has been lodged with the Environmental Protection Agency to shift the former Mount Morgan drill hall, which has been onsite since about 1926.

Russell Winnett, the director of the Yeppoon company Studio R, which is behind the designs, said submissions had just been finished for government funding to help relocate the hall to the city's Heritage Village.

In its place, Mr Winnett said, a new 700-seat convention centre would hopefully be built, facing Alma Street.

Federal member for Capricornia Kirsten Livermore said she was delighted that the entire barracks project now looked as if it would come to fruition.

“Mr Winnett has provided me with a copy of their funding application, which was lodged on May 21, and I will be taking this to Canberra with me next week to speak to the relevant ministers to ensure that, if at all possible, this very worthwhile project, which I have been pursuing for I think over two years now, goes ahead,” Ms Livermore said.

Mr Winnett said he was confident work would move forward on the site, which will host a military-themed 115-room complex, Rockhampton's first with a five-star rating.

It was bought in early 2007 by Michael and Sharon Wagner of Rolleston.

“Shifting the drill hall will make room for a serious-size convention centre that will attract national and international conventions,” Mr Winnett said.

The entire project has the backing of Military Museum curator Bob Butler, who is looking forward to work starting.

The museum will back onto the hotel and Mr Butler told The Morning Bulletin it would hopefully also undergo a $700,000 refurbishment to help it complement the development.

Mr Butler said it was good that plans were afoot to move the former drill hall to the Heritage Village.

[Rockvegas]

Rocky now in fastest growing areas

Amy Formosa | 8th July 2009


Alice Roberts moved to Rockhampton last week to become ABC Rockhampton's new online producer.


ALICE Roberts is one of our newcomers who's helped drive the Beef Capital into one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.

The “Australia on the Move” report by the Residential Development Council put Rockhampton in its top 20 fastest-growing areas in the country (see below).

Our population, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics geographical boundaries, as opposed to the local government equivalent, is 76,729, and expected to hit 97,021 by 2027, a 26% growth.

The report found that Rockhampton needed a total of 524 new dwellings built each year for the next five years to house its swelling population.

Alice, who is a country girl at heart, moved from Brisbane to Rocky last week to become the ABC's new online producer, and is already enjoying her new venture.

“I love being able to get out in the field ... you learn so much about different issues,” the 23-year-old said yesterday.

Alice, who grew up on a sheep and cattle property at Mitchell, west of Roma, said after recently spending a few weeks filling in at the ABC in Rocky, she liked the atmosphere.

“It's still like a big city for me,” she said.

Member for Rockhampton, Robert Schwarten said with the city on the move, it meant more jobs, especially in the construction industry.

“The construction of 524 new homes every year has a knock-on affect for a growing region,” Mr Schwarten said.

He said after talking to local builders, they were busier than ever.

And as the city continued to prosper, Mr Schwarten said the Government continued to plan infrastructure projects like hospitals and roads, to meet the city's demand.

The report revealed that Rockhampton needed to build 269 houses as well as 255 attached dwellings (ie apartments/flats or townhouses) each year by 2014 or the needs of its estimated number of newcomers would not be met by the current housing market.
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Hervey Bay - 2,514 people each year or 4.3% each year


Bunbury - 2,157 people each year or 3.3% each year


Gladstone - 1,570 people each year or 3.1% each year


Gold Coast/Tweed - 16,937 people each year or 3% each year


Sunshine Coast - 9,195 people each year or 2.8% each year


Cairns - 3,976 people each year or 2.7% each year


Mandurah - 2,204 people each year or 2.7% each year


Brisbane - 46,810 people each year or 2.5% each year


Mackay - 2006 people each year or 2.4% each year


Townsville - 3,974 people each year or 2.7% each year


Rockhampton - 1127 people each year or 1.4% each year