Townsville State Development Area

Declared in 2003, the 4915-hectare Townsville State Development Area (SDA) is a defined area of land dedicated for industrial development. It is located about six kilometres south-east of the Townsville CBD and two kilometres south of the Port of Townsville.

Situated at the junction of the national road network (Bruce and Flinders Highways), with direct connections to major rail networks and the Port of Townsville, the Townsville SDA is positioned to be the preferred location in North Queensland for the establishment of industrial development of regional, state and national significance.

Benefits of the Townsville SDA

The Townsville SDA provides benefits to business and industry looking to invest in Queensland including:

• locational advantages with access to:
  • the Port of Townsville, Queensland's third largest port, handling over 30 different commodity types imported and exported including copper, zinc, lead, sugar and fertiliser
  • rail routes running north, south and west with key connections to the North Coast Rail Corridor and North West Rail Corridor
  • the national road network, which provides access north to Cairns, south to Mackay and Brisbane and west to Charters Towers and Mount Isa
• efficient use of land, such as:
  • a dedicated transportation corridor, providing direct road access to the Port via the Townsville Port Access Road
  • the future potential to divert rail freight access to the Port through the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor and to provide a services and materials transportation corridor to avoid the Townsville CBD and residential suburbs
• opportunity for large-scale high-impact industry to co-locate with existing industries, with existing industrial enterprises and large areas of greenfield land available for development
• a large workforce and major support services within the city of Townsville
• streamlined assessment processes for applications and requests
• regulation of material change of use, reconfiguring a lot, and operational work for native vegetation clearing to improve development coordination and reduce the regulatory burden on proponents
• best practice land-use planning and management - ensuring land and infrastructure assets are, and remain, attractive to existing occupants and potential investors.

Existing industrial development in the Townsville SDA

The Townsville SDA is positioned to meet the needs of large-scale projects as evidenced by the major industries that are established within the SDA. The Townsville SDA is currently home to:

• Aurizon Stuart intermodal facility
• Aurizon locomotive and rolling stock maintenance facility
• Glencore Xstrata copper refinery
• JBS Australia abattoir
• Origin Energy Mt Stuart peaking generator plant
• Pacific National rail freight terminal
• Sun Metals zinc refinery
• Townsville City Council landfill
• Townsville correctional facility.

Sun Metals – a case study

Sun Metals Corporation (Sun Metals) own and operate the SMC Townsville Zinc Refinery at Stuart, in the Townsville SDA. The refinery, which has been in operation since 1999, produces special high-grade zinc metals and other products including sulfuric acid, zinc ferrite and gypsum.

“Operationally, Sun Metal benefits from good road infrastructure within the Townsville SDA, allowing easy access to the Bruce highway and port access roads, coupled with close proximity to the port, to facilitate our global import and exporting activities” Kathy Danaher, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Sun Metals Corporation Pty Ltd.

In July 2020, it was announced that Sun Metals was the recipient of $5 million in funding through the Queensland Government’s $19 million Hydrogen Industry Development Strategy 2019-2024. The grant will support the establishment of a renewable hydrogen plant with an initial focus on transitioning its diesel heavy-vehicle fleet to zero-emission hydrogen.

New industrial opportunities in the Townsville SDA

New industries considered suitable for the Townsville SDA include a diverse range of port, rail, and road dependent industries such as:

• manufacturing (chemicals and metals production)
• minerals processing
• intermodal freight and logistics
• bulk storage.

Cleveland Bay Industrial Park

The Cleveland Bay Industrial Park (CBIP) master-planned industrial estate, provides 125 hectares of fully serviced freehold industrial lots for development either side of the Townsville Port Access Road in the Townsville SDA.

The CBIP benefits from direct access to the Townsville Port Access Road, connecting to the Port of Townsville and the Bruce and Flinders Highways. The location provides for 24/7 operations.

Uses suitable for the CBIP include:

• medium-impact industrial uses
• freight terminals
• transport depots
• research and technology industries
• warehouses
• infrastructure facilities.

The Coordinator-General has approved several medium-impact industrial uses in the CBIP, resulting in approximately $106.4 million, of capital investment in Townsville. Approved development includes:

• CAMM Group concrete batching plant and precast concrete facility
• Bridgestone Tyres warehouse for bulk storage of heavy vehicle and mining vehicle tyres
• Gough Plastics plastic product manufacturing factory
• Centurion freight terminal providing freight and warehousing services
• IOR transport depot, warehouse and fuel storage areas
• Sizer & Cogill Bulk & General Carriers bulk grain and agricultural product export warehouse.

The Queensland Resources Common User Facility (QRCUF) will be located in the CBIP. The Queensland Government is delivering the QRCUF to support the development, extraction and production of critical minerals. The facility will be a hub to trial production processes for commercialisation, enabling prospective miners to begin producing mineral samples at scale.

Further information

For further information on the Townsville SDA, contact the Office of the Coordinator-General on 1800 001 048 or via sdainfo@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au