QRC welcomes Co-ordinator General approval of MacMines Austasia project in Galilee Basin

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the Coordinator General’s decision to approve MacMines Austasia’s $6.7 billion China Stone coal mine in the Galilee Basin.

“Every new investment in the resources sector is good news for Queensland,” QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

“The resources industry adds $62.9 billion to the Queensland economy and supports 316,000 direct and indirect jobs.

“Our resources sector puts money in the bank for every Queenslander, from the Cape to the Gold Coast.

“It pays more than $4 billion in royalty taxes, which are used to build roads, schools and hospitals, and to pay the wages of hard-working teachers, nurses and police officers.

“The Queensland resources sector works hand-in-hand with regional communities and has a long history of co-existing alongside other important industries including agriculture and tourism.

“The economic value from the resources sector is created using just 0.1 per cent of Queensland’s land area, and our resources sector is committed to sustainable land use and rehabilitation.”

In the report on the MacMines project the Coordinator General said: "I conclude that there are significant local, regional and state benefits to be derived from the China Stone Coal project, and that environmental impacts can be acceptably managed, minimised or offset, through the implementation of the measures and proponent commitments outlined in the EIS."

Mr Macfarlane said new projects in the Galilee Basin would further strengthen the long-term outlook for the resources sector and provide direct benefits to nearby regions.

“That means more high-paying jobs for regional Queenslanders, especially in places like Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton.

“There are up to six mines that could open in the Galilee Basin. That’s just the shot in the arm that regional towns need.”

www.qrc.org.au

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