Businesses eyeing LNG supply deals
21st August, 2009
Hope of Jobs spin-offs
The annoucenment that the Australia Pacific LNG plant could result in 10,000 jobs for the region may mean big things for the region as a whole, but the Gladstone Engineering Alliance is hoping it will also be beneficial for local businesses.
Business Development Manager Kim Williams said the GEA was working with existing and future major industry in Gladstone. "It is apparent that there will be supply opportunities once the economy recovers fully from the GFC, and the emergence of the LNG industry in the region," she said.
"This set of circumstances provides an opportunity for us to plan to build and maximise capability to take full advantage of opportunities in the Gladstone region."
The GEA is a member-based, business network that aims to represent, develop and promote the capacity, capabilities, competitiveness, and interests of industry in the Gladstone region.
"The GEA looks forward to not only strengthening existing relationships with major industry but to develop new relationships with the coming LNG projects both in construction, operational, and maintenance phases," Ms Williams said.
"We welcome the announcement by Australian Pacific LNG as this project will strengthen Gladstone's position in the global economy."
The GEA holds a number of industry-related events through the year that enable business and industry to share current and relevant information on major projects in the region.
"We are proud to host the region's premier engineering event, the two-day Golding Industry Conference 2009, to be held on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October 2009," Ms Williams said.
The formal conference program will provide delegates with access to critical relevant information on opportunitites which will be provided by major industry into the future.
The conference provides a forum for major industry proponents to showcase their project quantum, timelines and contacts, thus providing information on business opportunities in Central Queensland for GEA members and other Queensland businesses into the future.
"This year's event is specifically targeted at identifying opportunities for business," Ms Williams said.
Speakers at this year's conference will come from major local industry and infrastruture providers and planners, as well as the minerals processing and mining industry and LNG projects earmarked for the Gladstone region.
The Observer, Thursday 20 August 2009