Clive Palmer is pressing on with plans to reopen his troubled Townsville nickel refinery and says he's on the look-out for workers.
Queensland Nickel Sales is seeking expressions of interest for future job vacancies, with Mr Palmer announcing he is "taking steps" to reopen the Yabulu operation.
"We have more than 40 people working at the refinery who are ascertaining the steps required to open the plant and additional work is being carried out to set a detailed reopening schedule," Mr Palmer said in a statement on Monday.
General manager Ian Ferguson said those interested in future employment opportunities could fill out an application form from the company's website.
"We want potential applicants to download the application and lodge their expression of interest in employment with us so we can manage the reopening of the refinery," Mr Ferguson said.
Some 800 workers have been sacked from the nickel refinery and almost $70 million in taxpayer funds is being used to cover their unpaid entitlements.
Special purpose liquidators were last month appointed to pursue Mr Palmer's assets to try and recoup the taxpayer funds.
The announcement to press on with re-opening the refinery comes just days after a court examination of Mr Palmer over the refinery's collapse was delayed because his nephew is overseas.
The businessman-turned-politician and his nephew, QN's sole appointed director Clive Mensink, were due to front the Federal Court in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Mr Palmer has repeatedly distanced himself from all decisions that led to the demise of the refinery, which went into voluntary administration in January.
Queensland Nickel Sales took over the refinery's management in March and Mr Palmer has previously said up to 1000 jobs could be created at the operation when nickel prices recovered.
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