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Community to hold meeting to discuss buyback of Palmer's nickel refinery

Monday, 14 Mar 2016 06:01:11

A consortium will discuss a potential buyback of Queensland Nickel at a meeting today. (ABC News)

Workers sacked from Clive Palmer's Townsville nickel refinery in far north Queensland will meet today to discuss a community buyback of the plant.

Key points:

  • Consortium Sister City Partners call meeting to discuss buyback of Queensland Nickel
  • 550 employees, who finished up on Friday, still have no guarantees about the future
  • Environment Minister says new owners have all approvals needed to hire back staff

Townsville group Sister City Partners has called the company's 800 sacked workers and 700 creditors to a meeting in Townsville this morning to determine if the bid could succeed.

The group's Mark Dunworth said he had already met with Mr Palmer.

"I said 'look, if you were basically willing to consider selling the assets back into what we were proposing as Comm Nickel - Community Nickel'," he said.

"He did indicate that he was willing to do a heads of agreement offering us the option to purchase the assets into Comm Nickel."

A Palmer-owned company, Queensland Nickel Sales (QNS), took over as manager of the Yabulu refinery last week after former manager Queensland Nickel — another of Mr Palmer's businesses — went into voluntary administration and sacked more than 200 workers back in January.

The plant's remaining 550 workers finished what could have been their last day on Friday, after Mr Palmer failed to give any indication whether their jobs were safe following the transfer of the Environmental Authority needed to keep the plant running.

Mr Palmer previously told the ABC he was in discussions with the consortium.

Clive Palmer's refinery in crisis


Look back at the events that plunged Queensland Nickel into crisis.

The federal MP appeared on ABC's Insiders program yesterday, where he said it would be another two months before the refinery had any ore to process.

He also accused the State Government of dragging its feet with 18 approvals needed to operate the plant legally.

However, Environment Minister Steven Miles said Mr Palmer has received all of the necessary approvals to operate his nickel refinery, and he should guarantee the future of 550 workers.

"There is nothing in this that stops Clive Palmer from saying, on Monday morning, that the workforce can turn up and keep their jobs," Dr Miles said.

Dr Miles said environmental protection officers would return to the refinery today to monitor the site.

Enforcement orders were served to QNS on Friday after they failed to demonstrate to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, that it had adequate resources – including staff – to operate the facility in a way that complied with its environmental authority.

"Because at the end of the day this is a site that is very close to populated areas," he said.

"It's on the Great Barrier Reef. And so we need to make sure there is no adverse environmental impact from Clive Palmer not continuing to manage the site properly."

Dr Miles previously said one priority was ensuring the refinery's tailings dams and pumping equipment were appropriately managed.

He said EHP officers had inspected the refinery and the department was "currently satisfied that the company is maintaining essential environmental controls".

Marine Park Authority seeks clarification over legal action

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has written to Mr Palmer's companies seeking an update on legal action over pipeline running from the Townsville refinery into the reef.

The courts are still considering a 2014 case challenging the agency's decision not to grant a permit to Queensland Nickel for the use of a pipeline running into the World Heritage area.

The authority has written to Mr Palmer asking him whether the case will continue.

While the pipeline is not connected, the agency said the new operators would need to seek a new permit, if it wanted to use it.

The Queensland Government issued the operators of the Townsville refinery enforcement orders over the weekend.

It said the management of the plant's tailings dam was a priority.

AustraliaPlus


 

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