Ms Cartwright’s comments were made after a visit to the Central Ranges Project, where she saw the full range of site activities, from clean and grade through to trench digging, welding, bending and stringing and reinstatement of the land.

“I’m always impressed by the quality control of the people working on these projects and Central Ranges was no exception,” Ms Cartwright told The Australian Pipeliner.

“The people working on long-distance, high-pressure gas pipelines know that each part of the process is important and that each job, no matter how small, is critical to the success of the project and the commissioned pipeline.”

Keith Potter, CEO of major contractor Delco and Construction Manager Mick Wardale showed Ms Cartwright a range of sites and activities along the route.

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The Central Ranges project is on target to meet its completion date of late April. The pipeline runs from Dubbo to Breeza and then from Breeza to Tamworth. A lateral will also run to Gunnedah from Breeza to supply a proposed ethanol plant.

Delco and the Central Ranges project management team have established excellent communications with local farmers along the route, helping to facilitate good access and rehabilitation arrangements.

The pipe is being provided by Orrcon, using almost 8,000 tonnes of high-strength, tightly alloyed hot-rolled steel coil in more than 16,000 lengths of pipe. A thousand truckloads are required for delivery.