Two major announcements this week have delivered Queensland’s leading export industry with a resounding vote of confidence in its long-term future. Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Michael Roche said the Newman Government’s plan to invest in the Galilee Basin rail project and a foreshadowed removal of tariffs on the state’s coal exports to China were timely and welcome news. “The Newman Government’s first Infrastructure Enabling Agreement with Adani Mining will help to kick-start its A$16.5 billion Carmichael project in the Galilee Basin,” Roche said.

“It is a combination of hard-headed commercial investment and a visionary approach to securing long-term benefits for the state. The end game is the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and a new wave of economic activity when the state needs it most.”

Roche said the Queensland Government announcement, coupled with the State Bank of India’s A$1billion line of credit offer to Adani, were major milestones in Adani’s plan to export its first coal from Abbot Point to India in 2017.

“It is a good day for coal all around with the widely tipped news that an Australia-China Free Trade Agreement will include cuts to tariffs currently levied on exports of Australian coking and thermal coal,” Roche said.

“For Queensland, this is particularly significant as our coal exports to China were valued at A$5.9 billion last financial year, with coking coal worth A$5 billion. Today’s announcements are also very good news for communities throughout central and north Queensland that stand to benefit immediately from the opening up of the Galilee Basin coal province.”

Just last week in its World Outlook Report, the International Energy Agency forecast that Australia would regain its position as the world’s largest coal exporter before 2030 on the back of strong demand growth from Asia.

“The IEA expects fossil fuels will still make up about 75% of global energy supply by 2040, with India set to become the world’s largest coal importer by 2025,” he said.

“In terms of our own economic outlook and the future for hundreds of millions of people without access to electricity, this is a red letter day for Queensland and India.”

Leading provider of PRINCE2® project management training, ILX, has commented on a recent story in Australia’s Sunday Morning Herald reporting that Adani and multinational construction consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff have entered into a contract believed to be worth millions of pounds.

“There has been much speculation surrounding the A$16.5 billion Queensland coal project to which the contract applies, however this latest development shows that Indian power generator Adani is not losing any of its enthusiasm. The finer details of the costly project management contract are expected to be finalised in the next few weeks.

“The new contract signifies the progression of the project from the approval stage to the building stage. The deal would see Parsons Brinckerhoff provide assurance services across the engineering, procurement and construction contracts that are expected to be let over the coming months.

“This is not the only project that the Indian power company Adani has invested in recently either. In recent months the company has also financed the construction of a 388 km long railway designed to transport vast quantities of coal towards the port as part of the Carmichael mine project. The company is preparing for the improved growth of India’s energy demands as the country continues reforms.

“As experts in project management training across a wide range of industries, ILX takes a keen interest in newsworthy project management stories. Global Head of Marketing, Kevin Tewis, released the following statement upon hearing the news: ‘India’s recent economic growth has seen a greater commitment to the future development of critical infrastructure that the country has previously lacked.

‘These contracts represent India’s economic potential and focus on the importance of effective project management. Parsons Brinckerhoff is an excellent advocate of a pragmatic and well-structured approach to project management, which is clear throughout its development history. A project of this size and significance certainly calls for strong project management methodologies, similar to the ones taught in PRINCE2 project management training, in order to ensure success.’

PRINCE2 is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Ltd.