New Project An Environmental Winner For Bhp
Illawarra Mercury
Friday July 31, 1998
BHP Integrated Steel and the Port Kembla Port Corporation have joined forces in a land reclamation project that will create up to 100 jobs.
Some 30ha of inner harbour land will be reclaimed by dumping more than 1.2million tonnes of slag into the casting basin where the Esso oil rig platforms were built several years ago.
BHP Integrated Steel group general manager George Edgar said the project was a ``win-win" development for the Port Corporation, the Illawarra region and BHP.
``For BHP's part, we will have a solution to recycling our slag that is close to the steelworks, commercially viable, environmentally acceptable and has the support of the community," he said.
``It will give the port much needed infrastructure."
State Ports Minister Kim Yeadon, who launched the project yesterday, said the project would create 30 jobs during its construction phase.
``Over the medium to long term, the expansion is predicted to create up to 100 direct jobs which will have a flow-on employment effect in the broader community," he said.
The project will lead to a westward expansion of the current multi-purpose berth.
Mr Yeadon said the new facilities and extra land would tie in with completion of a new $4million rail spur line to the multi-purpose berth.
He said these would allow the inner harbour to be used for handling and shipment of pine logs, processed timber products, minerals and other bulk and containerised cargoes.
© 1998 Illawarra Mercury