Industry in Gladstone
Gladstone has positioned itself over several decades as the industrial and export hub of Queensland. Well serviced by road, rail and airport facilities, it has become the strategic growth centre for numerous large industries like LNG and coal with billions in committed private investment driving growth to new levels. Substantial government investment in infrastructure has provided a solid foundation for Gladstone’s future growth reinforcing its position as the heavy industry capital of Qld and Australia. In fact with world class port facilities Gladstone is the focus of international trade and commodities export on an ever increasing scale evidenced by the expansion of the Wiggins Island Coal terminal which will see it become the largest coal exporting terminal in the world.
The current wave of economic growth and investment in Gladstone is producing a surge in employment estimated at up to 18,000 new jobs across a number of major projects including:
- Expansion of Rio Tinto Alcan’s alumina refinery $2.4 billion
- Queensland Curtis LNG production facility to process coal seam gas – Curtis Island US$15 billion
- Boyne Smelters Development project $700 million
- GLNG (Santos, Petronas, Total and Kogas) LNG production facility to process coal seam gas – Curtis Island US$16 billion
- Powerlink transmission and substation upgrades $300 million
- Australian Pacific LNG production facility to process coal seam gas – Curtis Island US$14 billion
- Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal new coal terminal to service Bowen Basin and Surat Basin $2.5 billion
…and many more. The diversity of industries committing to Gladstone as a strategic centre for industry makes Gladstone’s growth both robust and sustainable over decades to come.