By Matthew Pearce
A Yeppoon-based manufacturing business will be the first tennant at the revitalised Rockhampton Railyards, following the historic site’s purchase by the State Government last year.
Steven Trevor, who is one of the directors of CQ Fibreglass Direct alongside his brother Nathan, said he was excited by the opportunities the location presented for his business and for the community.
CQ Fibreglass Direct is a composite manufacturer based in Yeppoon which builds mining components out of fibreglass and currently employs 25 people.
“This has been something we’ve been working hard towards for quite a while,” he said.
“We plan over the next few years to double our workforce and hope to create some synergies with other workforces here (at the railyards) as well as diversify our business.”
CQ Fibreglass Direct hopes to expand into other areas including train manufacturing, wind energy and the hydrogen market.
The heritage-listed rail workshops in Bolsover St, which were built from 1915 to 1953, were sold in 2010 as part of privatisation plan by a previous State Labor Government, with Aurizon announcing in 2017 that it would close the site.
Prior to the 2020 State Government election, Labor revealed it had entered negotiations to purchase the land, which it planned to use to support a rail maintenance, manufacturing and logistics centre, with the sale for $21 million announced in April 2022.
Speaking at the railyards on Thursday, 1 June, Transport Minister Mark Bailey predicted hundreds of job opportunities at the 19-hectare site.
“This place is going to be a hive of activity, although it will look different than before, with a lot of different kinds of manufacturers,” he said.
The number of tenants has not yet been determined and will depend on the needs of the businesses selected.
Mr Bailey said he couldn’t predict whether there would ultimately be more workers on site than when Aurizon shut the doors.
Keppel MP Britany Lauga said it was an “emotional day” for her personally, considering the history of the site and its importance to Rockhampton.
“I was there the day Aurizon announced they were closing these workshops and stood next to the workers who were told that they wouldn’t have a job any more,” she said.
Assistant Minister for Rail Manufacturing and Regional Roads Bruce Saunders said Ms Lauga, along with Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke and Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams had been fierce advocates of getting the railyards operational again.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said the rejuvenated railyards would provide career pathways for young people, which the State Government would back up with training.
The second tennant at the site will be Queensland Rail, which will establish a research centre into hydrogen-powered locomotives in partnership with CQUniversity.
Mr Bailey said this could be “a real game changer” for Queensland’s rail networks.
“If the entire diesel network is converted to clean energy, the gains in terms of not just economics but also climate change is huge.”
Remedial works for the railyards’ existing infrastructure are currently underway, with site including an Industrial Precinct and Heritage Precinct.
A new master plan is being created for the Heritage Precinct focusing on activating the site for community and recreational use, while preserving and celebrating its rich rail history, including the historic Roundhouse.
The Rockhampton Railyards will also form part of the supply chain for the Government’s Queensland Train Manufacturing Program.