The Chronicle

Projects worth billions

But funding needed for proposals

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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

 ??  ?? IN THE PIPELINE: APA Group's Darling Downs Solar Farm is one of many renewable energy projects injecting billions into the Darling Downs economy.
IN THE PIPELINE: APA Group's Darling Downs Solar Farm is one of many renewable energy projects injecting billions into the Darling Downs economy.

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