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Eight more QLD projects get 100% FIFO ban

The Queensland Government has put a ban on employing a fully fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce at eight more large resource projects, taking the number of projects affected by the ruling to 69.

Its 100 per cent FIFO ban on these projects aims to support more jobs in local communities, with 295 nearby regional communities to benefit from these declarations.

The latest projects included 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).

“We want to see more regional jobs stay in our regions,” Queensland’s Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said.

“Fifty-nine regional communities will benefit from these (latest) declarations, including protections under the anti-discrimination provisions in the Act relating to the future recruitment of workers for the eight new projects.”

The nearby regional communities include Baralaba, Blackwater, Glendale, Rockhampton, Middlemount, Eton, Coppabella, Weipa, Bluff and Moranbah.

The Queensland Government has also put a FIFO ban 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).

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 to allow residents of Mount Isa and Cloncurry benefit from the mines’ operations.

In Western Australia, debate is raging in the Goldfields about the impact of FIFO workers on the local economy. The Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor John Bowler has urged mining companies to hire permanent residents in the region.

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