Media Releases

Gladstone Economic
and Industry Development Board
Ph contact:   4971 2318

According to Randall Byram, Chief Executive of the Gladstone Economic and Industry Development Board, “Industry and Government are working hard to improve the environmental performance of Gladstone.  Actions to protect our environment and quality of life are desirable in their own right. But they are most effective when they also improve bottom line profit”.

“When environmental impact reduction is in a company’s financial interest as well as its ethical interest you get a twin motivation.  This is a very potent approach and Gladstone is a leader in it” he said.

Mr Byram highlighted how the proposed Gladstone Nickel Refinery would use an innovative process that emitted 50% less carbon dioxide than the conventional process.  Other examples include how Rio Tinto has reduced energy demand at its Yarwun site by 10% and how cleaner gas fired energy may be used for the Stage 2 expansion of the alumina refinery. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions created by Queensland Alumina’s investment in new gas suspension calcincers was also highlighted.

“When you add the work of the Gladstone Centre for Clean Coal to these examples, it is clear that Gladstone’s major industry is taking serious long term action when it comes to greenhouse issues and broader environmental concerns”.

According to Mr Byram, Government agencies are focused on strategic planning that helps to get industries to feed off each other.

“A core part of our work on the Gladstone State Development Area involves planning to create situations where the products and by-products from one plant can be used by an adjacent plant. This type of beneficial re-use lowers the impact on the environment by reducing the amount of virgin resources that are consumed and the level of waste and emissions that are generated.  Also, by locating big plants close to each other and beside special transport corridors, we can decrease the transport distances and thereby reduce costs to business and cut down on vehicle emissions to the environment”. 

“The overall outcome is an integrated cluster that makes more efficient use of materials, energy and water than what occurs with geographically separated stand alone plants.”

“This type of eco-industrial integration harnesses the profit motive to help reduce environmental impact.  It creates business opportunities that are both economical and ecological” he said.