Fraser Coast Regional Council has thrown their support behind the proposed establishment of a hi-tech shell forging facility in Maryborough, Queensland.

Joint venture partners NIOA and Rheinmetall AG have proposed the establishment of a $60 million world’s best practice forging and advanced manufacturing facility, designed to produce artillery shells and other munitions products for the Australian Defence Force and for export to select foreign strategic partners. 

The hi-tech facility will bring significant new investment to the region with the creation of up to 100 direct, long term and highly skilled jobs in Maryborough and the surrounding Fraser Coast region. Substantial flow-on effects will also create many more indirect jobs and benefits across the region in the retail, property, transport, child and healthcare sectors.

“The Maryborough facility will help transform the region by creating long-term jobs directly and indirectly, boost the region’s economic and manufacturing base and provide a solid economic foundation for growth in education and skills, leading to a diversified workforce,” Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said.

“The long-term benefits to the region cannot be understated,” Cr Seymour said.

The Council has been working closely with the Rheinmetall/NIOA Joint Venture company to develop an incentive package to attract them to the region. This involves a suite of incentives, including investment facilitation and coordination assistance, deferred payment arrangements and waiving infrastructure fees.

“The Council have been very supportive of the proposed facility, and have been fantastic to work with, making it very easy to do business. It is great to see an increasing level of economic activity returning to the Fraser Coast region,” NIOA Managing Director Robert Nioa said. 

“I’m very proud to be able to bring a project of such important economic benefit back to my own home town. The long term and highly skilled jobs at the Maryborough facility will be transformational for the region,” he said. 

NIOA
Established in 1973, NIOA is Australia's largest privately-owned company supplying weapons, ammunition and technical support to commercial, military and law enforcement markets.