Monday, 9 April, 2018

The Andrews Labor Government has secured a $3.4 million boost from East Gippsland civil construction company, Whelans Group Investments, to increase production at its Bruthen quarry creating 12 new jobs.

Whelans Group Investments specialises in large civil engineering projects, operating seven quarries across East Gippsland, and supplies crushed rock to major road projects, including the duplication of the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing joined Whelan’s Group Investments managing director Charlie Whelan in Bairnsdale today to announce support from the Labor Government’s Regional Jobs Fund.

The $3.4 million project will significantly upgrade power at the quarry and establish a high capacity rock-crushing plant, new entry ramps, internal roads, a workshop and a weighbridge.

The demand for crushed hard rock in Victoria is expected to increase by 21 per cent by 2025 and double by 2050.

The new facilities will increase the company’s quarrying capacity and enable it to supply greater volumes more cost effectively.

With the connection to three-phase power, the Bruthen quarry will remove its reliance on expensive diesel-powered generation and a small mobile stone crushing plant.

Whelans Group Investments has been operating in East Gippsland since 1975 and the new investment will help to secure the company’s existing workforce while creating new jobs for the region.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing:

“Right across Gippsland, the Andrews Labor Government is determined to invest in initiatives that create local jobs and drive the enormous potential of our region as the population grows.”

“This investment to create 12 new jobs is great news for Whelans – one of East Gippsland’s largest providers of technical, construction and engineering maintenance – and will enable another local business to play a key role in our pipeline of public infrastructure and construction works.”