The outline of the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct (LEIP) is beginning to take shape, with the construction of various internal roads within the 2,200-hectare precinct well underway, as well as advanced designs for a major intersection upgrade.
Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said contractors were ramping up work at the Calcium precinct with construction commencing on several internal roads, including the extension of No-Name Road and upgrading Jones Road.
"We've had contractors working in the background getting started on a number of construction milestones over the last year out around Lansdown," Cr Greaney said.
"Works were undertaken in 2023 to upgrade the Flinders Highway intersection at Old Flinders Highway and Woodstock-Giru Road in preparation for the works that are underway now."
"This is the time where the outline of the precinct will really start to take shape with further roads being constructed, as well as the establishment of the primary access into the precinct.
"The completed precinct will have around 18.5 km of roads, but it's this initial Construction that really lays the foundations for further growth, and we're excited to see further stages of roadworks and even some water infrastructure being completed over the next year, as I'm sure are our proponents."
The new works are a welcome sight for Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct proponent Northern Quartz Campus - Solquartz, who have officially lodged a Development Application for three 260 MW / 8-hour Battery Energy Storage Systems called Supernode North as part of the Northern Quartz Campus, a North Queensland quartz to silicon supply chain solution.
Brian Restall, Managing Director – Australia, from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (specialist global investment manager responsible for, and sponsor of the Northern Quartz Campus project) said the project, Supernode North will be co-located within the Northern Quartz Campus at the already heavy industrial zoned, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct site.
"This project will be a catalyst for further development within the eco-industrial precinct by facilitating the establishment of a proposed Powerlink 275kV substation at Lansdown," Mr Restall said.
"Upon a DA being secured and works beginning - the initial project is expected to create up to 90 local jobs during construction."
Mr Restall said Supernode North was a first step towards their broader plans within the precinct, with Private Energy Partners, an affiliated development partner of Quinbrook, and Solquartz, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quinbrook's funds, working on submitting second and third Development Application packages, comprising of a biochar production facility and metallurgical silicon production facility, by the end of the year as part of the Northern Quartz Campus.
"Exporting our natural resource to other countries unprocessed creates jobs and wealth overseas. Recent Government initiatives at a state and federal level have given us confidence to invest in value adding onshore to Queensland's natural resource and in doing so create job and wealth in the state where the resource actually is," Mr Restall said.
"Queenslanders and Australia should enjoy the benefit from the jobs and wealth creation that can come from onshoring critical mineral value adding. To do this requires power infrastructure and this is what this first application is focussed on delivering.
"We're working with the local community and will be hosting our second community drop-in session on 12 November 2025 at the Woodstock Sports and Recreation Club."
Divisional councillor Brady Ellis said Council's recent awarding of a package of works that would take place into mid next year, would establish sealed road access to DriveIt NQ.
"Things are slowly coming together out at Lansdown, and this is a really exciting time," Cr Ellis said.
"Some of the work BMD Constructions are completing will include the construction of new road pavement from DriveIt NQ along Ghost Gum Road to No Name Road, effectively giving DriveIt sealed, all-weather access to their facility.
"I'm excited to see the precinct start coming together, seeing Development Applications being lodged and hopefully shovels in the ground, creating exciting job opportunities over the coming years."
CEO of DriveIt NQ, Pat Driscoll said the creation of a sealed access road would open up a raft of possibilities for future operations at the motorsport facility.
"The completion of the approved access road will be a game changer for the DriveIt facility - it adds the ability to bring in high performance, low-clearance vehicles and provides a safe and easy access for spectators," Mr Driscoll said.
The LEIP is jointly funded by the Australian Government and Queensland Government in partnership with Townsville City Council.
