The scope of works to be undertaken includes establishing alternate access for heavy vehicles outside the mining footprint and providing civil infrastructure to enable the relocation of a communication mast.

It also includes relocating critical mine infrastructure such as a high density polyethylene pipeline, high voltage power lines, and fibre optic cable as well as building the drainage structure to remove water flows from the proposed mining area into an existing creek system.

Golding will provide flood protection for the new and existing mining pits.

The contract will involve approximately 1.2 million cubic metres of earthworks, 4km of pipelines, 22km of fibre optic cabling, and 21km of overhead cabling.

Contract completion is anticipated to be in January 2021.

Parent company NRW CEO Jules Pemberton said the Blackwater contract followed work secured in July for the same client at Goonyella, with a value of circa $34 million.

"Those works, also being undertaken by Golding include approximately 950,000cu.m of earthworks and 10km of new pipework, with completion scheduled in August 2020," he said.