- Sugarbag Hill Ultra High Purity Quartz Sand Project has been declared a prescribed project to enable timely project delivery.
- The $515 million project is expected to create 600 construction jobs and 140 ongoing jobs across North and Far North Queensland.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering a better lifestyle through a stronger economy after the former Labor Government's decade of decline neglected regional Queensland.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a better lifestyle through a stronger economy by declaring the Sugarbag Hill Ultra High Purity Quartz Sand Project a prescribed project to fast-track delivery.
The $515 million project is expected to support 600 jobs during construction and 140 ongoing jobs once operational, delivering significant economic benefits for regional Queensland.
The project includes a quarry at Sugarbag Hill, 17 kilometres from Forsayth, and pre‑processing at Mount Garnett.
Ultra‑high purity quartz is an important material used to make products like semiconductors, specialised glass and equipment needed in advanced manufacturing.
Further processing of the critical material is proposed at the Lansdown Eco‑Industrial Precinct south of Townsville, with a pilot facility in Stuart and chemical storage at the Port of Townsville.
The project will also allow high‑quality quartz sand to be exported through the port.
The Crisafulli Government is driving progress, creating jobs, and strengthening Queensland's position as a world leader in critical mineral extraction and processing, after years of Labor inaction that left resource projects languishing.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the declaration was an important step in progressing the project as well as delivering jobs and investment in North Queensland.
"Queensland is open for business, and we are providing the certainty needed for major projects to plan and progress," Deputy Premier Bleijie said.
"Declaring the Sugarbag Hill Ultra High Purity Quartz Sand Project a prescribed project ensures this development moves forward without unnecessary delays.
"This project will help strengthen Queensland's critical minerals capability, inject hundreds of millions of dollars worth of investment and create hundreds of jobs in North and Far North Queensland.
"After years of missed opportunities, the Crisafulli Government is reigniting investor confidence and delivering more economic opportunities for regional Queensland."
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development and Member for Burdekin Dale Last said the Crisafulli Government was serious about backing resources projects that grow our regional economies and create jobs for Queenslanders
"This project will create hundreds of new jobs in the construction phase and ongoing operational jobs across the value chain right here in regional Queensland – from the quarry to the processing facilities and at the Port of Townsville," Minister Last said.
"With the Queensland Resources Common User Facility and Graphinex's Battery Anode Hub just down the road, we're committed to building sovereign capacity right across the critical minerals sector.
"We're serious about cutting red tape, driving faster approvals and delivering certainty to investors so they can get on with creating local jobs."
Queensland Coordinator-General Gerard Coggan said his office would continue to work closely across government, local councils and High Purity Quartz Ltd to keep the project moving.
"Our role is to ensure the approvals process progresses without unnecessary delay, supporting the proponent and agencies to keep the project moving," Mr Coggan said.
"This declaration allows us to work closely with all parties to deliver the economic and strategic benefits this project promises for Queensland."
High Purity Quartz Limited CEO Stuart Jones said the declaration provided certainty for the project.
"We welcome the Queensland Government's support, which reinforces the strategic importance of our project to the State's Critical Minerals Strategy. This declaration allows us to progress project approvals more efficiently and with greater certainty as we move through the Detailed Feasibility Study and Engineering stage," Mr Jones said.
It recognises the importance of establishing a Queenslandbased supply of globally-scarce ultrahighpurity quartz sand, which is critical for solar PV silicon wafer manufacturing. This aligns with the State's ambition to build worldleading sovereign capability in this future focused industry"
"This project represents a significant regional investment, with the potential to support hundreds of construction jobs and a long-term operational workforce across North and Far North Queensland, so the benefits of critical minerals and materials flow back to Queensland communities.".
Subject to approvals, High Purity Quartz Ltd is targeting a final investment decision in early 2027 and commencement of construction in early 2028.
