Yeppoon-based mining equipment supplier CQ Fiberglass Direct has been named the first recipient of the Queensland government’s new AU$79.1 million Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Grant Program.
The company will receive up to AU$113,000 to install an automated advanced fibre composite manufacturing system. The technological upgrade is designed to replace labour-intensive manual batching, reduce material waste, boost overall productivity, and meet accelerating demand across the resource and maritime sectors.
The project will create seven new local jobs while upskilling CQ Fiberglass Direct’s entire existing workforce.
The funding forms part of a AU$12.5 million inaugural round that has seen 18 manufacturers secure financial backing. Marking a milestone for the state, more than half of the total funding pool has been awarded exclusively to regional operators, with 11 of the 18 successful businesses located outside South East Queensland.
Minister for Manufacturing Dale Last said the state government was committed to supporting regional Queensland manufacturers.
“Some of our best innovators and hardest workers are based in regional Queensland and these grants are about giving them an opportunity to take their manufacturing businesses to the next stage,” Last said.
He noted that the 18 successful projects across food, medical, construction, and resource sectors are expected to create over 300 new jobs and upskill more than 550 workers statewide.
Member for Keppel Nigel Hutton added that the support gives hubs like Yeppoon the momentum to future-proof their operations alongside metropolitan counterparts.
CQ Fiberglass Direct co-owner Steven Trevor described the grant as transformational for the regional business.
“Receiving this will allow us to upgrade our equipment and replace labour intensive manual batching with new advanced systems,” Trevor said.
“This funding has the power to transform the way we do business and with access to additional capital to upgrade our equipment, we will be able to redirect existing resources to advance other areas of our business.”
The grant program will continue rolling out over the next two and a half years, with applications for round two expected to open shortly.
