Adani ‘ icing on the cake’ Huge boost to region’s confidence
BUSINESS operators and community leaders have welcomed the move by Indian group Adani to proceed with its huge Carmichael coal project, describing it as “fantastic” and a “landmark decision” for North Queensland.
Business people at the North Queensland Mining and Resources Industry Forum in Townsville yesterday wholeheartedly supported the coal and rail project but also hoped the benefits of work flowed to smaller companies.
John Larkin of Townsville Office Furniture and printing company NPS Corporate said the project represented a huge opportunity for businesses.
Mr Larkin said Adani’s decision to proceed was “one of the landmark decisions for North Queensland”.
“I have been following these developments for the last five or six years and I think it is one of the biggest opportunities that is going to be presented to local businesses,” he said.
Rohan Lucas of environmental engineers Alluvian Consulting said the decision was a great boost to confidence for small businesses which had been through tough times.
“I really hope Adani procure some of the smaller local guys as opposed to the locally based multinational engineering service providers,” he said.
“I really hope Adani adopts current industry- leading practice in their environmental management of the landscape. There are a lot of lessons that have been learned in Australia that small specialist consultants might be able to bring to them."
Greg Rains of mining and quarry services business Nordev Contractors said Adani would be “great for Townsville”. “It’s been a long time coming and it’s going to be great for Townsville and North Queensland,” Mr Rains said.
Clayton Cook of recruitment group TP Human Capital said the region’s confidence was recovering and Adani would be the “icing on the cake”.
“I think there has already been a turnaround in consumer and business confidence in the last six months,” Mr Cook said. “This … will really get things moving over the next 12 months.”
Townsville Enterprise CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the Adani project would open many business opportunities.
“Not just in the Galilee but for our local business community as well as real jobs for the people of North Queensland,” she said. Powering up our future:
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