Proposed new rail line for Mackay

Proposed new rail line for Mackay

Posted on Tuesday, January 24 2012 at 9:45 AM

Investment properties in Mackay have just been given another boost, with BHP Billiton giving the Queensland Government notice of a proposed rail corridor alignment from the Bowen Basin to Mackay

The proposed line would be used to accommodate multiple rail lines, including a dedicated rail line for BHP Billiton, from the Goonyella Mine to a proposed coal export terminal at Abbot Point, 30 kilometres north of Mackay. It means an extra 60 million tonnes of coal could be exported from Mackay each year.

BHP Billiton metallurgical coal president, Hubie van Dalsen, says some landowners had previously expressed concerns about the effect of multiple proposed rail corridors on landholdings.

“We’ve listened to their concerns and acted on the advice of the Queensland Government in pursuing a common corridor which could be used by other proponents,” he says.

However, Opteon property director Paul Krause believes there’s already so much happening in Mackay that the new rail line won’t have much impact anyway.

“The REIQ (Real Estate Institute of Queensland) says there’s a vacancy of less than 0.7 per cent but from where we’re heading, it’s less than that,” he says.

“This would be another massive coal loading facility but there are already many mines opening up. There will be spin-offs in every available offshoot and it’s just one of the many projects we have on our plate at the moment.”

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