QUEENSLAND has welcomed the announcement that construction will re-start on a new manufacturing complex near Moranbah in May 2010 creating 600 new jobs. Incitec Pivot postponed construction of the ammonium nitrate manufacturing complex at Moranbah in February 2009 because of the Global Financial Crisis.

Their decision to recommence comes after announcements by Resourcehouse and QGC over the weekend signalled more than 13,000 new jobs for Queensland. The $935 million Incitec Pivot project involves the construction of a 330,000t a year complex comprising ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants as well as utilities, power generation and other infrastructure.

Ammonium nitrate is an explosive used in mining operations and the new plant will services a number of major mines in the region. The news follows two other recent major jobs announcements for Queensland.

QCG, a BG Group business, announced commitments to more than $3 billion in contracts for its Queensland Curtis LNG Project. The project is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs during the construction phase and more than 700 jobs during operation. The State Government has also made a $60 billion announcement outlining plans to create 7,500 jobs in a new mine and associated infrastructure in the Galilee Basin.