Council welcomes bipartisan Federal push to develop Lithium-Ion Battery industry
Date published: 17 December 2018
Acting Townsville Mayor Les Walker has welcomed the bi-partisan federal support for developing the Lithium-Ion Battery industry.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten yesterday proposed expanding the Lithium-Ion Battery manufacturing industry, and last week Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham launched Austrade’s new Lithium-Ion Battery Value Chain: New Economy Opportunities for Australia strategy.
A $2 billion Lithium-Ion Battery Plant has been proposed to be built in Woodstock, potentially creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the city. Townsville City Council has provided the land where the advanced manufacturing plant will be established for an equity stake in the project.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk signed a memorandum of understanding with the Imperium 3 consortium – an international group of technology and resources companies – earlier in the year.
Cr Walker said Townsville City Council was positioning the city as a national leader in advanced manufacturing for Lithium-Ion Battery Technology.
“Council has been working with the Imperium 3 consortium for a long time now and Townsville is well positioned to become a national leader in this new industry – which will create thousands of jobs for our city,” Cr Walker said.
“Importantly, both sides of politics at a federal level understand the importance of supporting this new industry and the benefits it can bring in terms of jobs and export revenue.
“I’m hopeful we will see further signs of support from both the Federal Government and Opposition in relation to this project in coming months.”
The Queensland Government has provided $3.1 million to help fund the Townsville Lithium-Ion Batter Plant’s feasibility study – which is currently underway.
