The Queensland Government has added another eight large resources projects to its ban on fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) recruitment in support of jobs for local communities.
The eight projects are Baralaba North (Baralaba Coal Company), Barbara (Round Oak Minerals), Bauxite Hills (Metro Mining), Century zinc (New Century Resources), Cook Colliery (Bounty Mining), Mount Colin (Round Oak Minerals), Mungana (Auctus Resources) and Olive Downs (Pembroke Resources).
These declarations represent the third addition to the Coordinator-General’s published list of large resource projects that are prohibited from employing a 100 per cent FIFO workforce.
A ban has previously been placed on the Grasstree and Moranbah North mines (Anglo American), Peak Downs and Saraji (BHP), Ernest Henry (Glencore), Dugald River (MMG Dugald River), New Acland (New Hope) and North Goonyella (Peabody Energy).
“We want to see more regional jobs stay in our regions,” Queensland’s Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said.
“This decision by the Coordinator-General is great news for every local worker living near these projects. Fifty-nine regional communities will benefit from these declarations, including protections under the anti-discrimination provisions in the act relating to future recruitment of workers the eight new projects.”
A project is classified ‘large’ under the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017 when it has at least 100 operational workers. Round Oak Minerals’ Mount Colin mine and Barbara project in Queensland are, however, exceptions to this rule.
The Coordinator-General has “used his discretionary powers” to declare the Round Oak Minerals projects as large resource projects to benefit residents in Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
The ‘local’ catchment considers communities within 125 kilometres of a project. The communities to benefit from the latest declarations include Blackwater, Rockhampton, Weipa, Emerald, Middlemount, Coppabella, Eton and Moranbah and Dimbulah.
A similar debate is growing in intensity in the Goldfields region of Western Australia to create more permanent jobs and reduce FIFO employment to improve the local economy.