Projects worth billions
But funding needed for proposals
RENEWABLE energy and coal seam gas projects are worth billions to the economy across south-west Queensland – if they all go ahead.
The annual Queensland Major Projects Pipeline report, released on Thursday, details the status of 14 projects across the region.
While many of the biggest infrastructure projects like the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing are well under construction, a number of energy projects across Toowoomba and the Surat Basin are in limbo.
These include stages 2 and 3 of the Bulli Creek Solar Farm, the Columboolan solar farm near Miles and stage 2 of the Oakey Solar Farm, all of which are listed as ‘credibly proposed’.
Nearly 100 projects totalling $16 billion remain unfunded across the state.
According to the report, these projects would generate more than 4700 additional jobs if they received funding.
The report looked at the proposed, planned and in-construction projects with construction and engineering costs more than $50 million.
BIS Oxford Economics report author Adrian Hart said across regional Queensland many private projects remained in limbo.
“When the mining boom when bust, so too did infrastructure investment,” he said.
“There are lessons that can be learned here because the public sector won’t be able to do this on its own.”
Mr Hart said all levels of government needed to ensure approvals processes were accessible with less overlapping between jurisdictions.
The report also listed the New Acland Stage 3 expansion as unlikely to go ahead, despite it controversially being referred back to the land court earlier this month. with ARM Newsdesk
Photo: APA Group