Locals get the job done
A NOTORIOUSLY terrible road into the Carmichael Mine will be upgraded as part of a new $20m contract with a Townsville-based business.
Bravus Mining and Resources has awarded a road upgrade contract to the Mendi Group, to help improve access to the mine.
The roads near the Carmichael Mine are known to be bad, often flooding in wet weather.
There have also been calls for the state government to let more coal royalties flow to the
Isaac region given the high volume of resources produced in the area to help improve local roads.
Bravus Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe said Mendi would upgrade, resurface and improve more than 20km of the Mine Access Road (MAR), or Moray-carmichael Boundary Rd to the locals.
The contract will also cover Elgin Rd, with both roads being upgraded from unsealed to sealed. New stormwater drainage culverts, road furniture and cattle grids will also be installed to ensure that the road is better suited to heavy vehicles and wet weather.
“Mendi has been with us from day one and it’s exciting to build on our relationship which started with more than $15 million worth of civil construction works back in 2019,” Mr Crowe said.
He said Bravus has spent more than $58m upgrading and maintaining public roads, with more projects to come in the future.
“Importantly, we’re meeting all of our environmental and Cultural Heritage conditions for these works, including more than 40 different environmental approvals for the upgrade of the MAR alone,” he said. “We are paying our own way, and at the same time, we are making the roads better for our neighbours, graziers and other Isaac Regional Council residents who use them.
“Sealing the road provides more protection against flooding during the wet season, meaning the area won’t be cut off as regularly, which is great for our people and our neighbours.”
Mendi’s managing director Jeff Doyle said the contract would support more than 50 regional jobs for the six-month construction program.
“We’ll be offering employment for regional Queenslanders throughout the construction period,” Mr Doyle said.
“Our workforce will be drawn from Townsville, Charters Towers, Clermont, and surrounding towns, and our team will join the already predominantly regional Queensland-based workforce out on site at the Carmichael Mine.
“So you can see how the Carmichael Mine is important not just for our business and our employees, but for the whole of north and central Queensland.”