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Heavy lifting at the port Marine Offloading Facility receives $8.5 million upgrade

Cowboys are our team Seagrass monitoring Supporting local business A new community partnership will see Comprehensive monitoring program Helping to ensure the sustainability of Cowboys legends visiting our region keeping waterway health in check our port communities

nqbp.com.au At North Bulk Ports, we are proud of the role we play in the community and the State’s economy. We facilitate global trade for a wide range of bulk commodities, leading the sustainable development of our ports and building prosperity for all Queenslanders. NQBP AND COWBOYS PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT AT PORT OF MACKAY LATE LAST YEAR These ports, which include not just Abbot Point, but also Weipa, Mackay and Hay Point are NQ COWBOYS PORT COMMUNITIES Port upgrade: Marine Offloading Facility gateways for more than half of Queensland’s trade by tonnage every year. ARE OUR TEAM When it comes to putting the “Together we are working with the Whether it be the economic contribution we north Queensland community very institutions that lie at the heart of TRADE FACILITATION make together with our customers through trade; first, NQBP and the North NQ communities – our schools,” says the community partnerships we build; or the Queensland Cowboys are on the Mr Tonner. spectacular environment we actively and closely Moving industrial equipment bigger same side. safeguard, one of our values is to lead the way. “If we can help students stay engaged than the size of your average house in learning and encourage them to is no easy job, but a newly renovated In this edition, we are pleased to share some The two proud regional Queensland be healthy and active, we’re on the Marine Offloading Facility (MOF) at recent highlights from our key community and organisations launched a community- way to ensuring prosperous and Abbot Point helps with the heavy environmental programs. based partnership late last year, centred on their shared vision to sustainable regional communities for lifting. One of the ways we are supporting our region PICTURED ABOVE AND BELOW: MARINE OFFLOADING FACILITY IN CONSTRUCTION see communities thrive even during the future. A MOF allows the transfer of large is through a new partnership with the North challenging times. “In addition to the school visits, the equipment and materials to a port by barge “Not only did these works directly employ Point, allowing for the cost efficient delivery Queensland Cowboys. Our two organisations are Cowboys legends and development rather than by road. local people, the project has brought more of large cargoes with the added benefit of joining together under a three-year community The partnership will see Cowboys staff will also conduct children’s money through the town – with visiting keeping them away from the busy Bruce partnership which features a program that legends and The newly renovated Port of Abbot Point training sessions. workers eating at local restaurants and Highway,” he says. reaches across all of our port communities. make a number of visits to the port MOF is almost ready to receive its first staying at local hotels,” says Mr Pillai. communities of Bowen, Sarina, “What we see is that the Cowboys delivery with stage one of construction “Projects like these improve efficiency at our To learn more about our local environment, check Mackay and Weipa during 2017. have an ability to affect kids and works now complete. Modifications to the MOF, originally built ports, providing assets for our customers out page 5, which features information about our create social change. To see the looks in 1982, allow for the safe and efficient and supporting the economic development comprehensive seagrass monitoring program – a The former players will present to NQBP Senior Project Engineer Anoop Pillai on their faces and to hear how they delivery of large cargoes, starting with a of Queensland and the region. critical indicator of waterway health. hundreds of local children and teach says although special marine construction them the importance of teamwork and respond is very rewarding,” says Mr expertise was required on the project, replacement ‘stacker reclaimer’ used for “The upgraded MOF will also improve 2017 will be a year of delivery for NQBP and I school attendance. Tonner. local contractors were also used during coal loading. emergency response with a new light vessel look forward to keeping you up to date with the construction. However, Mr Pillai says the $8.5 million jetty,” says Mr Pillai. latest from your port. Cowboys CEO Greg Tonner says the partnership with NQBP is like a great “NQBP is proud to support the Bowen project will also benefit a number of different Federally approved maintenance dredging Steve Lewis friendship. community and during peak construction, up anticipated users in the future. will occur within a set window of April to CEO, NORTH QUEENSLAND BULK PORTS to 30 local contractors were busy on site. “It will be a great asset for the Port of Abbot October.

2 3 Gumlu better ENVIRONMENT by the dozen Gumlu State School is for the chicken coop was to work in looking to become a model of conjunction with their ‘naked lunchbox’ environmental sustainability, project, designed to eliminate plastics and a NQBP EcoPorts grant is and rubbish from the school grounds. helping the 12-student school The chickens play their part by eating LUCKY PENNY HEADS achieve that goal. food scraps. NQBP Director of Sustainability and “One thousand dollars might not seem BACK INTO THE WILD External Relations Gary Campbell like a lot of money, but for us it is A green sea turtle, believed to be between says he is delighted to see the grant huge,” says Mr Harrington. 15 and 20 years old has recently been directed towards the installation of the “A project like this in a small school released back into the wild after spending school’s own chicken coop. allows for all the students to get more than a year in rehabilitation care at “The chicken coop is an innovative involved and really learn from their ’s Reef HQ. addition for the EcoPorts grant experiences outside of the classroom Penny was released from the shores of Bowen program, which has also helped to as well as inside.” Harbour, by volunteers from Bowen Sea Turtle kick-start kitchen gardens, recycling Mr Harrington says while they planned Animal Stranding Response (BSTAR). programs and a trial of fishing line originally to purchase chickens only, disposal bins,” he says. NQBP has been a long-term partner of BSTAR, with snakes already hanging around, helping to play an important role in providing “The EcoPorts grants create the addition of guinea fowl would help turtles rescued from local waters with emergency awareness, understanding and to chase them away. care before transferring them to specialist appreciation for the environment, and “The chickens and guinea fowl will hospitals such as the one at Reef HQ. NQBP is proud to support grassroots be completely free range, wandering initiatives that engage Bowen region’s around the school grounds throughout young people.” the day and only locked into their Gumlu State School Principal chicken coop at night to avoid the Thomas Harrington says the idea dingoes,” he says.

BSTAR’S TRACEY BAZZO, STEVE MUSCAT AND NQBP’S KIRSTY GUMLU STATE SCHOOL STUDENT KIARA KRUG PICTURED MUGRIDGE WERE HAPPY TO RELEASE PENNY BACK INTO THE WILD WITH THE MURAL SHE PAINTED INSIDE THE CHICKEN COOP

4 5 Inside the Port of Abbot Point STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES Most northern natural deep water port

Proximity to Asian markets

Gateway to major infrastructure - roads, rail and shipping Berth 1

Shiploader Berth 2 Adjacent to state development area

Trestle Isolated from urban development Marine Offloading Existing residential population located Facility at Bowen to support operations and growth

Stormwater Management Pond Coal Stockyard Administration Stacker Reclaimer & Maintenance Coal Inloader

Abbot Point Rail Balloon Stormwater Return Dam Caley Valley Wetlands

6 7 LOCAL BUSINESS BENEFITING FROM LOCAL BUYING Running a small business for more Buying local is a growing part of NQBP’s to invest in community resilience. than 18 years in Bowen, Home strategy to support regional communities. “The objective is to positively contribute to Hardware owner John McEniery knows Sustainability takes into account more than community spirit, resilience and capacity first-hand the importance of buying just environmental practice. In more general building. This extends to supporting local local. terms, sustainability is about endurance and business, whether it be the local hardware Mr McEniery employs 18 people at the longevity. store or bigger, medium sized enterprises popular hardware store, which also provides NQBP Senior Manager Sustainability, in the region that supply contractors for supplies to NQBP’s Port of Abbot Point Simona Duke says procurement policies infrastructure projects” Ms Duke says. maintenance crew. ensure employees are encouraged to To read more about our sustainability plan, Mr McEniery says while there had been consider local suppliers, to help build visit our website. a downturn in the Bowen economy, there strong relationships and ensure long term is a strong sense of community which capability. means shoppers still want to support local “By creating opportunities to support local STAY IN TOUCH business. business we are essentially investing in the “We aim to provide a competitive price and community and keeping our towns and port Find out more about your port. Follow us pride ourselves on customer service. communities economically attractive places on Facebook and Twitter or sign up for to live and raise a family. our newsletter by visiting nqbp.com.au “We also support the local economy by or calling 07 4969 0700 providing jobs and having an extensive “NQBP was the first Australian port range of products,” he says. authority to develop a Sustainability Plan, which sets a pathway for our organisation. “As long as shoppers continue to buy local, we will continue to compete,” says Mr “One of the core themes of the Plan is Port McEniery. Communities; an action under this theme is

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