What’s happening?
Townsville Enterprise has urged the Federal Government to change regulations and fund major infrastructure across Northern Queensland.
The group says the North holds major critical minerals potential, but progress is being slowed by high energy costs and market monopoly conditions.
Its submission, Preparing Northern Australia for emerging industries, sets out what it says is needed to support long-term growth, stronger national resilience and lasting community benefits.
Townsville Enterprise wants faster delivery of transmission infrastructure, simpler environmental approvals and funding for assets, including the Port of Townsville and the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor, or TEARC.
Chief executive Claudia Brumme said the region was in a strong position, but national support was still needed.
“Australia risks missing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take advantage of the economic and sovereign capabilities emerging across Northern Australia,” Ms Brumme said.
She said Townsville North Queensland sits “at the centre of hundreds of billions of dollars in untapped critical minerals, a rapidly accelerating renewable energy corridor, and the nation’s most strategically important defence and advanced manufacturing opportunities.”
Why it matters?
Critical minerals are needed for renewable energy technologies and high-tech manufacturing.
Townsville Enterprise says Northern Queensland and the North West Minerals Province could play a major role in those sectors, but only if the right settings are in place.
Ms Brumme said the region’s growth could not be fully realised without urgent action.
“North and Northwest Queensland is rapidly becoming Australia’s most important renewable energy and critical minerals corridor but we cannot realise our full potential without timely investment to unlock these opportunities and ensure long-term productivity,” she said.
She also warned that delayed action would cost Australia jobs and industry capacity.
“We have the resources, the workforce, the industry partners and the global demand, but currently we are exporting this potential and these jobs overseas.”
“What we now need is Federal enabling investment to ensure projects like CopperString, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, Haughton Pipeline, the Port Expansion, SAF mandates and TEARC progress at the speed required to keep Australia competitive.”
Local Impact
For Townsville and the wider North, the submission centres on the infrastructure that could support industry, trade and jobs.
That includes further investment in the Port of Townsville, TEARC, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, the Haughton Pipeline, Mt Isa Rail Line upgrades and the international terminal.
Townsville Enterprise argues those works would help lower costs, improve freight movement, support defence activity and give new industries room to grow closer to home.
Ms Brumme said the stakes were high for local communities and for Australia’s clean energy future.
“If we fail to invest now, we risk leaving $500 billion in critical minerals undeveloped, slowing the clean energy transition, and missing our chance to build sovereign industries that create Australian jobs, not export them.”
By the numbers
- $500 billion in critical minerals is estimated to lie untapped across Northern Queensland, according to Townsville Enterprise, which says reform is needed to help bring those resources into production.
- Over US$8 billion could be invested through Quinbrook’s Northern Quartz Campus and related clean energy generation projects when fully built.
- 2,500 regional skilled operational jobs could come from that Quinbrook pipeline, while Townsville Enterprise is also seeking $150 million for Lansdown infrastructure, $250 million for Mt Isa Rail Line efficiency upgrades and $2 million for international terminal works to support services by 2027.
Zoom In
The submission calls for a broad package of policy and infrastructure changes.
Townsville Enterprise wants the Northwest Queensland energy market reviewed, with deregulation considered to increase competition and bring down prices.
It also wants Rewiring the Nation to be used to fast-track the western link of CopperString, helping connect critical minerals producers and value-adding industries to the National Energy Market.
The group says the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act should remain under review so recent reforms reduce approval timeframes and give renewable energy proponents greater investment certainty.
It is also calling for tax rebates and other incentives to help critical minerals proponents invest as first movers in common user infrastructure and draw in more private capital.
Townsville Enterprise is seeking Federal backing for the Townsville Port Expansion and the fast-tracking of Stage 2, the Outer Harbour Development, to meet trade demand and support an expanded Defence presence.
Further recommendations include advancing TEARC, investing in Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct and the Haughton Pipeline, funding Mt Isa Rail Line upgrades, improving the international terminal by 2027 and relocating and upgrading JCU’s Cyclone Testing Station to support climate-resilient building research.
Ms Brumme also welcomed the Federal Government’s recent decision to grant major project status to the Northern Quartz Campus.
“We strongly support the decision to elevate the status of this project,” she said.
“The Northern Quartz Campus will boost Australia’s sovereign capability in critical minerals and silicon production, and is a crucial element of the pioneering Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.”
Zoom Out
Quinbrook, which is developing the Northern Quartz Campus at Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, says the project shows what value-adding in Australia could look like.
Chief executive Brian Restall said the plan reaches well beyond raw exports.
“Our Northern Quartz Campus project aims to deliver Australian sovereignty in both the clean energy and computing supply chains, given high-quality metallurgical silicon is a fundamental input into solar panels and computer chips,” Mr Restall said.
He said Quinbrook was backing local processing and local power supply.
“Quinbrook is investing in the value adding to Australia’s endowment of critical mineral wealth in-country rather than the traditional ‘dig and ship’ export model.”
“We are also investing in local, cost-competitive, firm renewables to power the new load as well to bolster the region’s power supply.”
Mr Restall said Townsville offered the right mix of mineral access, energy, port access and skills.
“Townsville is a location that Quinbrook chose to invest in because it is blessed with the natural advantages of having a combination of abundant critical mineral resources, cost-competitive renewable energy, a deep water port and a highly skilled workforce.”
“We are proud members of Townsville Enterprise Limited and look forward to working closely with TEL and the Townsville City Council to deliver benefits to the region and to Australia.”
What To Look For Next?
Any movement on CopperString’s western link, the Port of Townsville expansion, TEARC, Lansdown infrastructure and the international terminal plan for 2027 would show whether that support is starting to take shape.
