Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Michael Roche yesterday called for improvements to the State’s infrastructure to capitalise on the recovering resources market.
Speaking at the Queensland Transport Infrastructure Summit, Roche said a wide range of the State’s mineral and energy resources were beginning to show positive signs.
“How well we prepare for the opportunities ahead of us hinges strongly on the timely delivery of efficient infrastructure to fill the gap between production and end use by our customers all over the world,” he said.
“Queensland has a world class inventory of minerals and energy resources and there is the promise of much more to come.
“Yet sadly, the role of the national supply chain remains the forgotten end of the infrastructure debate.”
Roche said the QRC devotes much of its time advocating the importance of efficient infrastructure to service providers and government bodies.
“We are also working to achieve practical policy frameworks for industry that facilitate a competitive market for infrastructure services and identify market failures that impact on the economy,” he said.
“We are in accord with Brendan Lyon from Infrastructure Partnership Australia, who noted in last week’s press that efficient freight networks underpin Australia’s productivity and international competitiveness.
“According to the same newspaper report, population growth and economic activity are conspiring to triple the volume and distance of freight moved across Australia by 2050.”
According to Roche, the main infrastructure requirements for Queensland’s resources sector include water supply and transmission, energy generation and transmission, road and rail transportation and export and import facilities.
The emerging resources markets will need strong infrastructure in order to grow, he said.
He believes the growing coal seam gas industry could rival the export value of coal in coming years.
“Global energy companies have invested heavily in buying Queensland gas tenures with an eye to developing an export liquefied natural gas industry,” he said.
“We’re also keenly anticipating the emergence of other new industries such as underground coal gasification, coal to liquids processing and oil shale.”