Thiess awarded Bowen Basin mining contract with Wesfarmers

Issue Date:  18 October 2004
Issued By:  Leighton Holdings Limited

Company Announcements Office
The Australian Stock Exchange Limited
Level 4
20 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Re: Thiess awarded Bowen Basin mining contract with Wesfarmers

Dear Sir,

Please find attached a copy of a media release to be issued today by Thiess Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Limited.

Yours sincerely,


A.J. MOIR
Company Secretary

Thiess awarded Bowen Basin mining contract with Wesfarmers

Issue Date: 18 October 2004
Issued by: Thiess Pty Ltd

Thiess Pty Ltd has been awarded a contract for the construction of civil infrastructure and initial mining and pre-strip activities for the Curragh North project, owned by Wesfarmers Curragh Pty Ltd.

The contract is part of a $290 million capital project previously announced by Wesfarmers.

Civil and mining works are scheduled to commence in mid-November 2004, with the project scheduled to produce first coal at the end of the first quarter of calendar 2005.

The civil infrastructure will include a range of site infrastructure support facilities, an access road from Curragh North to the existing mine at Curragh and a levee bank adjacent to the McKenzie River.

Initial mining activities will include haul roads and mining access ramps, excavation of water storage dams and approximately 4-years of pre-strip waste operations.

The contract will support a peak workforce of about 200 people for the civil works and about 130 people for the mining works.

Located near the township of Blackwater, the Curragh North project is an open cut mine that will have its coal processed through the adjacent Curragh operations.

Ends.    
Released by Thiess Pty Ltd - ABN 87 010 221 486

For further information contact:
Michael Rosengren
Thiess Mining Manager – Qld/NT/Pacific
P: 3368 0209 or 0409 089 354