SOLAR JOBS ON BOIL
THE number of people employed at a big solar farm project at Kelso is peaking at more than 300 as the development moves into top gear sinking piles and installing panels.
And while there are complaints labour at the recently completed Clare solar project in the Burdekin Shire was farmed out to overseas backpackers, major contractors at the Kelso project say about 70 per cent of the people employed are from Townsville.
They include former workers from Clive Palmer’s nickel refinery which closed in 2016.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper, who toured the Ross River solar project yesterday, said 31 renewable projects were under way in Queensland, including a dozen in North Queensland.
Mr Harper said the local jobs supported by the Ross River project were important for Townsville, helping to circulate cash in the economy.
“I think that’s great for Townsville, particularly alongside other projects like the North Queensland stadium, the water pipeline that has just been tendered with Iplex, and there is a lot of roadwork going on north and south of Townsville and here on Riverway Drive,” he said.
Sydney- based infrastructure manager Palisade Investment Partners is developing the $ 225 million, 148 megawatt solar farm on a disused mango plantation near Ross dam.
Engineering group Downer is constructing the project, while other big firms working on the project in- clude Tranex, working on mechanical installation, and Nilsen, the electrical contractor.
More than 61,500 steel piles will support 415,00 solar panels over the 200ha site.
A former plant operator at the Yabulu nickel refinery, Jensen resident Peter Hay, counts himself among the lucky ones to get back on his feet after losing work at the refinery after almost 30 years of service.
He said he could not see Mr Palmer ever reopening the Yabulu refinery and hoped to have continuing work at another big solar project planned for Rollingstone north of Townsville.
“At the moment ( solar) looks like the way of the future. There’s a lot of ( solar farms) going up,” Mr Hay said.
Downer project manager Mark Bouton said some of the Ross River contractors, experienced in solar work, were from interstate, but that about 70 per cent of the total workforce was from Townsville.