TEL welcomes Bravus boost to jobs and production
We congratulate our valued Member - and major North Queensland employer - Bravus Mining and Resources on the announcement that the company will ramp up coal production and hire hundreds of additional workers over the next four years.
In what is a vote of confidence in the future of Queensland’s coal and broader mining industries, Bravus has this week confirmed it will make a substantial capital investment to increase production at its Carmichael Mine near Clermont by a third, up to 16 million tonnes of thermal coal per annum.
The $50 million investment will support an expansion of the Carmichael Mine’s workers village, a new water dam, the construction of a rail network maintenance hub, additional mine site infrastructure and engineering works.
Up to 600 additional workers will be required during the construction and ramp-up phases, subject to approvals.
Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme congratulated Bravus on its plans to expand.
“The announcement by Bravus that it will increase coal production at Carmichael from 10-16 million tonnes means more jobs for North Queenslanders, whether they be locals based in Townsville or other regional cities and towns.
"It also means more work for our local suppliers and contractors.
“This investment decision, and the plans to ramp-up, indicate just how sought after Queensland’s high-quality thermal coal is to the global market.
“We know that global demand for the type of coal mined at Carmichael is increasing as developing nations continue to industrialise and modernise their economies, and so we hope to see Bravus continue to deliver jobs for North and central Queenslanders for many years to come.”
Townsville Enterprise Board Chair Kevin Gill said TEL had a long-standing relationship with Bravus based on both organisations’ mutual commitment to growing North Queensland’s economy and delivering well-paid, highly-skilled jobs to the region.
“Bravus has always stood behind our region and we are proud to do the same, they are a true mining success story.
“Ever since mining commenced at Carmichael in 2021, Bravus has delivered sensational growth and prosperity to our region and the entire State.
“We trust that this exciting expansion decision is just the next chapter in what will be a very long book of shared success.
"We support the Crisafulli Government's ‘open for business' mantra - Townsville is a city that supports mining, it's in our DNA and will be for decades to come."
Bravus Mining and Resources Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe said the decision to export more coal from Carmichael would create hundreds of new jobs for Queenslanders during construction and ramp-up.
“Over the last three years our Carmichael mine has safely and efficiently ramped production up to more than 10 million tonnes per annum, which has boosted the Queensland economy and created thousands of jobs in regional Queensland.
“This new investment will increase Carmichael’s output by a third and create more benefits for Queensland.
“Our investment in the infrastructure to support this growth means more contracts for local businesses and suppliers and more high-paying mining industry jobs for people living in places like Clermont, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville, and Cairns.”
Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki said the Crisafulli LNP Government had not made any changes to the coal royalty tiers introduced by Labor in 2022 but had secured the expansion of the mine and the hundreds of jobs attached to it, finally bringing an end to a lengthy legal process.
“We were locked into this deal by the former Labor Government but at the table we’ve worked extremely hard to ensure we get hundreds of jobs in return.
“This is about a stable and calm Government working on driving greater investment into the State, securing a better deal, which means we can deliver critical jobs in our regional cities and towns.”
