EARLY works have started on a new $500 million glass and manufacturing facility on the Gold Coast as part of paper, packaging and recycling giant Visy’s Queensland relocation.
The new facility is part of a deal struck earlier this year that saw Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government acquire South Brisbane land owned by Visy for more than $160 million, to use for the international broadcast centre during the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while Visy would move its operations to Stapylton.
Visy’s move would create more jobs and is part of the company’s $700 million investment into Queensland that includes a new $150 million cardboard box factory at Hemmant and $48 million to upgrades at its material recovery facility at Gibson Island.
The Premier, Treasurer and Environment Minister helped turn the sod at the Stapylton site on Friday, which will support over 600 construction jobs and around 200 jobs once operational. When complete, it will manufacture one billion glass containers each year and support the growth of Queensland-based beverage companies like Bundaberg, Asahi, CUB, Lion, and Coca Cola.
“Queensland is currently a net importer of glass packaging and currently doesn’t manufacture enough to supply the local market,” Palaszczuk said.
“This new facility will not only make Queensland glass packaging self-sufficient but also sets us up to be a net exporter.”
The facility will also recycle glass from kerbside bins and from Containers for Change deposit sites, and divert 40,000 tonnes of glass out of landfill, as well as increase the amount of glass Queensland can recycle from 140,000 tonnes to up to 200,000 tonnes a year.
“Recycling is an important weapon against climate change and this glass bottle factory has the technology to help enable Australia to go from 30% recycled glass content in bottles to 70% recycled glass content in bottles which is world’s-best practice,” said Visy executive chairman Anthony Pratt.
Construction is scheduled for completion in 2025.
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick a crucial part of the agreement between the government to secure the West End site for the International Broadcast Centre for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games was ensuring the manufacturing jobs there survived.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said, “This is a huge coup for our city and will generate jobs through the construction phase as well as ongoing operation of the facility”.
