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Queensland's coal infrastructure gets a boost

NEW reforms introduced to Queensland's Parliament yesterday will cut timelines for the construction of vital infrastructure, including for the state's fast-growing coal industry.

Christine Feary
Queensland's coal infrastructure gets a boost

Treasurer Andrew Fraser said amendments to the Queensland Competition Authority Act would make the efficient delivery of necessary infrastructure a top priority.

He said the reforms were particularly important for Queensland's major coal export facilities and coal rail transport infrastructure.

"Our current forecast for 2007-08 coal exports of 173 million tonnes is expected to increase by 19 percent to 206 million tonnes by 2010, " he said.

"By reforming the competition regulatory framework - a decision-making process which can typically take between 12 and 18 months - we are removing the practices that could have been seen as a hindrance to getting infrastructure approved and built.

"That's critically important in a growing state like Queensland where we need to be able to respond to the export market in a timely way and ensure our regulatory framework supports and encourages investment in essential infrastructure."

The reforms include introduction of a price monitoring mechanism to allow the Queensland Competition Authority to report on prices of significant infrastructure from both the public and private sector.

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