Existing Industry

Over the last five years, the key industry sectors of mining, manufacturing and transport have undergone (or are undergoing) major expansion plans. Both Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point coal terminals are staging development programs that will result in boosting total port capacity to 140 million tonnes per annum, creating one of the largest coal ports in the world. Increasing global demand for coal, coupled with new mining developments in the Bowen Basin and improved rail capacity, establishes a foundation for this growth to continue into the foreseeable future.

The manufacturing sector, predominantly represented by Plane Creek Mill and the Ethanol Distillery, has also undergone expansions. The distillery, rebranded to Sucrogen BioEthanol, has recently completed upgrades to increase production from 38 million litres to 60 million litres a year in order to cater for the growing worldwide demand for ethanol and its various applications. The outlook for the distillery is for further developments in the near future.