Milestone for Townsville Channel Upgrade Project

The $193 million Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade Project  has undergone  a project milestone, with the delivery of more than half of the total rock required to build a protective sea wall.

Over 375,000 tonnes of rock has now been supplied to the Port of Townsville to build the 2.2-kilometre sea wall that will eventually reclaim an additional 62 hectares of land for port operations.

More than 70 port staff, rock supply and construction employees are involved in building the rock wall, and more than 10,000 project hours have been completed so far.

Part of the City Deal, the sea wall is the critical first phase of a project that will eventually widen the approach channel to the port, allowing ships of up to 300 metres in length to visit Townsville.

Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge, said that the Port upgrade had created a jobs and economic boost for Townsville. 

“It’s fantastic to see the the rock wall powering ahead at a time when Townsville, like the rest of the country, needs an economic injection,” Mr Tudge said. 

“Off the back of the City Deal, getting work underway on this project is crucial to the Morrison Government’s priorities  as we rebuild the economy during COVID-19.” 

The Australian Government is contributing $75 million to this project as part of the Townsville City Deal, which will see the biggest improvement to the port in several decades.