Torbanlea manufacturing facility
A new facility is being constructed in the Maryborough region, to manufacture the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program fleet.
The Torbanlea manufacturing facility will strengthen the region's historical link to train manufacturing and create local employment, training, and supply chain opportunities.
Benefits
- Increases capacity
- Improves network efficiency
- Contributes to economy
- Contributes to regional growth
Key features
The Torbanlea train manufacturing facility will include:
- workshop and sheds
- train tracks within the facility site
- offices
- car parks for workers and visitors
- site access from the Bruce Highway
- a secondary access from Ritchie Road.
Download the Torbanlea train manufacturing facility concept design newsletter for more information about the facility and how the project will manage operational impacts.
Current status
Construction activities will continue throughout 2024.
We are seeking approval to undertake construction works on Sundays under a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) amendment process. We are working through any potential impacts and are committed to managing impacts on the local community. Once approved, we will provide advanced notice prior to Sunday works commencing. We are committed to working with local residents and businesses during construction and operation of the manufacturing facility.
Works to install internal haul roads to connect to the Bruce Highway entrance are expected to be completed in July 2024. Once works on the haul roads are complete, the Bruce Highway will become the main site access for heavy vehicles.
Torbanlea train manufacturing facility site layout map
Community engagement
Feedback on the Torbanlea train manufacturing facility concept design was undertaken between 4 December 2023 and 2 March 2024.
This feedback is now being reviewed and considered as part of the design development process.
Information about key feedback themes will be provided in mid-2024, with information about the final design to be provided by late 2024.
Community pop-up information sessions
You can drop in any time to talk to the project team about the project, provide feedback on the Torbanlea train manufacturing facility concept design and upcoming works at a pop-up information session.
Date | Location |
---|---|
Wednesday 1 May 2024 8am to 11am |
Billy Beans Coffee Corner of Burgowan Road and Gympie Street TORBANLEA QLD 4662 |
Thursday 2 May 2024 7am to 12pm |
Maryborough City Markets Adelaide Street MARYBOROUGH QLD 4650 |
Saturday 4 May 2024 7am to 12pm |
Howards Markets Steley Street HOWARD QLD 4659 |
Wednesday 8 May 2024 9am to 12pm |
Howard Community Centre 56 Steley Street HOWARD QLD 4659 |
Wednesday 15 May 2024 9am to 12pm |
Station Square Shopping Centre 142 Lennox Street MARYBOROUGH QLD 4650 |
Wednesday 22 May 2024 9am to 12pm |
Childers Woolworths Shopping Centre 111–115 Churchill Street CHILDERS QLD 4660 |
Wednesday 29 May 2024 8am to 11am |
Billy Beans Coffee Corner of Burgowan Road and Gympie Street TORBANLEA QLD 4662 |
Works scheduled
Construction works are underway with work taking place from Monday to Saturday, between 6:30am to 6:30pm.
Office staff and ecologists may be required to access the site on Sundays between 9am and 5pm. Workers will enter site via Ritchie Road. There will be no noise impacts associated with these any site activities undertaken on a Sunday.
During the works you may experience construction noise, low levels of dust and vibration, and notice an increase of heavy vehicle movements. We are committed to minimising these impacts where possible and all works will be undertaken in accordance with environmental approvals.
From May, works will include:
- Train manufacturing facility site works
- Bruce Highway site entry works
- Susan River workforce accommodation village
Train manufacturing facility site works
We will:
- continue work on the Bruce Highway site access
- continue bulk earthworks, ground improvement works and removal of unusable materials from site. Materials that cannot be used on site will be transported to waste facilities in Granville and Howard. There will be an increase in heavy vehicles travelling via approved heavy vehicle routes to these areas
- deliver additional demountable shelters to site. Deliveries will arrive to site via Ritchie Road during normal construction hours
- clear vegetation, where required
- undertake concrete pours as part of the facility foundation installation works
- deliver oversized equipment to site at night via Ritchie Road.
These works are weather permitting.
There will be an increase in heavy vehicles travelling through Torbanlea during May. While concrete pours are underway, there may be times when works exceed standard work hours. We will ensure that works are completed during work hours, where possible.
Deliveries to the worksite
Oversized equipment will be delivered to site outside of peak times to minimise the impact on traffic and for the safety of road users. Deliveries will arrive to site between 1am and 5am.
Further information will be provided to the community ahead of these deliveries being made.
Bruce Highway site entry works
The Bruce Highway site access works were completed in November. Heavy vehicles will begin using the Bruce Highway main site access once the internal haul roads are completed. It is anticipated that the Bruce Highway access will be open in July 2024. When open, the Bruce Highway access will be used by heavy vehicles entering and exiting site. Light vehicles will continue to access the site via Ritchie Road.
Fauna inspections
Fauna surveys will occur at night throughout May 2024. Noise will be minimal, and surveyors will leave site by 10pm each night.
Works map
Susan River workforce accommodation
Temporary accommodation will be made available for the workers involved in the construction of the Torbanlea train manufacturing facility. The village will be built and operated by a private developer, with Downer leasing space to support construction of the facility.
The Susan River workforce accommodation village will be situated on the 9ha Susan River Homestead site on Noble Road, Susan River, 33km from Torbanlea.
The construction of the Susan River workforce accommodation village was recently completed, and workers have begun moving in. There will be an increase in light vehicles moving between the village and the Torbanlea train manufacturing facility site.
The village will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Noise will be managed in accordance with local council laws.
Noble Road upgrade works
Noble Road between Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road and the Susan River workforce accommodation village entry will be upgraded to create safe access to the workforce accommodation village. The upgrade will involve widening, sealing and line-marking approximately 600m of road.
The road upgrade design is expected to be compete in May 2024. Some low-impact on-foot investigations may be undertaken to inform the design during this time.
We will provide further notice about the final design and schedule ahead of the upgrade work commencing.
Environmental report available to view
From 13 to 27 March 2023, we invited the community and stakeholders to have their say on an environmental report relating to the manufacturing facility site for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act).
On 2 June 2023, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water granted approval under the Act, with conditions, for the construction of the facility to proceed.
This environmental approval allowed us to commence construction of the Torbanlea manufacturing facility in late 2023.
Download and read the final report: