Mr NEVILLE (9:48 AM) —I would like to congratulate Boyne Smelters Ltd on reaching its 20th anniversary of operations in Gladstone in March of this year. As the city's federal representative, it is a pleasure to be able to say, `Yes, our regional areas do prosper and grow alongside strong industry, and here is living proof of that.' Over this 20 years the company has set international benchmarks for smelting, but this milestone is only the opening act of a new performance by the company.

In 1997, Boyne Smelters demonstrated its commitment to the district with a $1 billion expansion program to add a third pot line to its aluminium operations. That investment almost doubled annual production, lifting output from 260,000 tonnes to 510,000 tonnes, and was a strong vote of confidence in the future of both the region and the smelter itself. The community now eagerly awaits the next major stage, yet another expansion of the Boyne Smelters operation, which hinges on an EIS currently out for comment. If this proceeds, the capital investment will be some $700 million to $800 million, and the work force will increase to 650 during the construction phase. The permanent work force should rise from 1,300 to 1,400 people, while the capacity of the plant would lift to 708,000 tonnes.

However, the company's true worth may be more accurately gauged by Gladstone's sustained growth and the number of local families which have grown up in the same community as Boyne Smelters and other focused industries in the light metals sector. The company contributes to the city and its surrounds—and that cannot be underestimated—with its generous investment in employment, community and environmental programs. This complements Gladstone's enviable lifestyle, thanks to its impressive parks, gardens, recreational facilities—all hallmarks of the city and its adjoining Calliope shire. In actual dollars and cents, the Boyne smelter injects more than $330 million a year into the local community and puts more than $70 million into the pay packets of local employees each year.

I am pleased to say that this wealth generation assists not only the town but also the state and the country, and will continue well into the future as Gladstone develops as the capital of light metals technology in Australia. The company's 20th anniversary is indeed an occasion for the community and the company to celebrate together to mark a most productive past and to look forward to the future that holds great promise for wealth creation affecting the city, the state and the nation alike.