QRC welcomes Olive Downs mine as 'critical jobs booster' for Qld COVID-19 recovery

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has described the decision to grant the mining lease for Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs coking coal project in central Queensland as a “critical jobs booster” for the state’s COVID-19 recovery.

“The granting of the mining lease means construction and creation of over 1,000 new jobs in the region can get underway.  These jobs will come just when Queensland needs them the most, with the state’s unemployment forecast to increase to 9 percent due to COVID-19,” QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

“Olive Downs had been well advanced before COVID-19 with the Queensland Government announcing its approval in May 2019, and its progression to construction could not have come at a better time for Queensland.

“The mine is expected to provide much needed local stimulus during COVID-19 recovery, with up to 500 jobs during construction and over 1,000 new jobs when the project reaches full operation.

“New resource projects, like Olive Downs, deliver for Queensland. The QRC will continue to work to ensure the comprehensive and transparent assessment and approval processes for these projects are streamlined to secure the jobs, investment, exports and royalties for Queensland as soon as possible.”

Mr Macfarlane said over the last month, QRC had used a public awareness campaign to highlight the 372,000 Queensland men and women working in or because of the resources sector across the State and the $74 billion economic contribution to the state last financial year. 

The mining and gas sector have been a life raft for Queenslanders during COVID, keeping the Queensland economy afloat, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, particularly in regions hit hard by the impacts on tourism and providing billions of dollars in royalty taxes to pay the wages of nurses, doctors and police.

“Queensland can count on the resources sector to deliver," Mr Macfarlane said. "The resources sector boosts local communities through 14,400 businesses and 1395 community organisations, underpins 80 percent of Queensland’s export sales and pays billions of dollars in royalties to the Government.

“In terms of royalties, Olive Downs has been forecast to deliver more than $5 billion in royalty payments to the State Government over the life of the project.  That will help future Queensland Government deliver services and infrastructure for all Queenslanders.”

www.qrc.org.au

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