Bravus begins laying Carmichael Project railway

Bravus CEO, David Boshoff, said the materials for the track, including the girders, steel, sleepers and ballast were all produced in Australia, and the contractors building the railway were also all local.

“We always said the Carmichael Project would create Australian jobs and benefit local businesses and this is yet another example of how we are delivering on our promise,” Boshoff said.

“Our rail workers camps were built by Australian company Decmil, based out of Rockhampton, and our rail camp operators are based in Collinsville. Our railway earthworks and civil works are being delivered by Martinus Rail and BMD, using their regional Queensland workforces in Rockhampton and Townsville. The girders are being delivered by Rockhampton-based Stresscrete, our rail sleepers are also home-grown in Rockhampton, and our track steel is Australian-made too,” he commented.

“We are creating and sustaining jobs and businesses in Queensland and across the country.”

The 200 km narrow-gauge rail project will connect the Carmichael mine to Abbot Point Terminal via existing rail infrastructure and will be one of the largest privately funded railways in the country.

“Bravus Mining and Resources is using Australian materials and Australian contractors so that the jobs and economic benefits of our privately funded rail infrastructure go straight back into the Australian economy,” Boshoff said.

“Our high-quality Australian products used on the track will literally be the backbone of the railway for decades to come,” he added.

Boshoff said the COVID-19 recession meant Adani’s investment was needed more than ever.

“Mining has cushioned the Queensland and Western Australian economies from the worst of the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns,” Boshoff continued.

“At a time when the local and global economy is struggling, we are pleased to be supporting fellow Australian companies and local businesses, making the most of materials you can find right here in our own Australian backyard.

“We are proud to have made good on our promises to Queensland, and especially regional Queensland. We have created more than 2000 jobs and signed more than AUS$1.5 billion in contracts.

“As we work with smaller, private, and Queensland-based contractors and suppliers we have been able to keep working through the COVID-19 pandemic with appropriate measures in place.

“More than 88% of our contracts are being delivered in Queensland and have been spread across all corners of the state to give as many regions as possible the opportunity to benefit from our project, while also enabling us to tap into the highly-skilled construction and resources industry workforce that Queensland possesses.”

Mr Boshoff said the track materials had been delivered to the construction site and was being be laid at a rate of between 900 m to 1.2k m of track a day at each end of the railway simultaneously.

“Every week we are reaching exciting new major milestones on the Carmichael mine and rail projects bringing us a step closer to the reality of completion. We are on track and looking forward to producing first coal in 2021,” he concluded.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/17122020/bravus-begins-laying-carmichael-project-railway/