Bravus awards $40m to local Queensland businesses

Bravus Mining and Resources has awarded two contracts for the construction of a new heavy vehicle maintenance workshop at its Carmichael mine in central Queensland.

Family-owned Cairns business CSF Steel Fabricators has been commissioned to fabricate and then freight more than 685t of structural steel to the mine. The steel will be used by Hawkins Group to construct the 5,700m² Mine Industrial Area workshop and warehouse.

Bravus Mining and resources chief operating officer Mick Crowe says Bravus is a proud regional Queensland business and supporting local jobs, contractors and suppliers has been one of its core values from the very start.

“That’s important to us not just because it’s good for the economic and social vibrancy of the communities the 1,200 workers at our Carmichael mine call home, it’s important because our regions boast world-class talent and leaning into that expertise helps us remain globally competitive,” he said.

“The workshop and warehouse are critical to every diesel fitter working at Carmichael and each of them is critical to keeping our haul trucks moving, so it’s fundamental we get it right and provide them a workspace that is made of the highest quality materials and built to the best standards.

“That’s what we’re going to get using CSF Steel Fabricators and Hawkins Group on this job.”

Since construction began at the Carmichael project in 2019, more than $2b has been paid to regional Queensland contractors and businesses.

Hawkins Group general manager and director Alex Curries says the contract would support more than 90 regional jobs over the 10-month construction program and early contractor involvement phase.

“Our workforce will be drawn from Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and surrounding towns, and our team will join the already predominantly regional Queensland-based workforce out on site at the Carmichael mine,” he said.

“We’re proud to be working with Bravus Mining and Resources on such an important project and having the support of another local businesses like CSF Industries to deliver the structural steel for Carmichael mine’s new workshop and warehouse certainly helps us.

“Coal mines like Carmichael have been the cornerstone of our business for more than 30 years.”