A FERTILISER mine near the North Queensland town of Charters Towers is set to boost bulk exports through the Port of Townsville.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced “prescribed project” status to a resources processing plant near Townsville.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Agripower Australia’s $663m Fertiliser Expansion Project would boost jobs for the region.
“Agripower believes that a two billion tonne deposit could create a mine life of 200 years,” the Premier said.
The Premier said Agripower had recently built a processing facility near Charters Towers able to produce 240,000 tonne of fertiliser a year.
That facility is expected to become operational next month, with the first shipment of 5000 tonnes to be exported to India from Port of Townsville in July.
“The completion of the processing facility is good news for Charters Towers and North Queensland,” the Premier said.
“Each year, Agripower expects to produce one million tonnes of fertiliser from the new facility, to be exported to the world – and to do that with a project life of up to 200 years.”
State development minister Cameron Dick said prescribed project status enabled Queensland’s independent coordinator-general to assist the proponent to progress the project.
The silicon fertiliser is set to be used in broadacre agriculture, horticulture, viticulture and organic agriculture.
