New state plan for resources to provide decades of jobs

THE SUCCESSFUL implementation of a bold new industry development plan for Queensland’s $82.6 billion resources sector will provide decades of jobs for Queenslanders, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said today.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said today’s launch of a Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP) by Resources Minister Scott Stewart was a crucial step towards building the state’s global reputation as a low-emissions energy superpower.

“The State Government is delivering on its pre-election commitment to work with the QRC and other stakeholders to develop a plan that maximises the benefits and addresses the challenges facing resources companies and resources communities at a critical time in world history,” he said.

“The next step is to make sure a clear plan and set of actions is developed in a timely way, for government and industry to take forward to secure the future of our industry and the future of Queensland.”

Mr Macfarlane said the global pandemic had made people more aware of the importance of a strong, stable state economy to their everyday lives.

“A new development plan for the resources sector will concentrate on promoting industry growth as well as responsibly unlocking resources and using low-emission energy to lower power costs,” he said.

“This is a genuine opportunity for the government and resources sector to work together to fix what isn’t working, remove unnecessary red tape and inefficiencies and set targets and pathways for growth.”

Mr Macfarlane said the plan would expand the Queensland economy and create more jobs and business opportunities, placing the state in a prime position to benefit from the world’s ever-increasing demand for energy from a mix of low and zero emission sources.

“We know from decades of exploration data that Queensland has a broad and abundant mix of resources, ranging from coal and gas to copper, zinc, lead, bauxite, nickel and silver, as well as critical minerals such as vanadium, titanium, scandium and cobalt which are essential in the production of renewable technologies,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Queensland also has 300 days of sunlight a year to support a growing solar power industry, is closely located to expanding Asian markets particularly South-East Asia, has a critical mass of skilled resources workers and a strong safety culture to support future expansion.

“We have all the ingredients we need to support Queensland’s rise as a major supplier in the global energy market and secure our state’s long-term future.”

Other QRIDP priorities include:

• maximising social and economic community benefits from the resources sector;
• streamlining of government regulatory processes;
• opportunities to expand advanced processing of resources in Queensland;
• minimum 12-week consultation process for regulatory change of material impacts;
• continued support for explorers through initiatives such as the Collaborative Exploration Initiative;
• identification of further growth opportunities for Qld’s Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector;
• prioritising best practice environmental protections and rehabilitation based on Queensland’s landmark financial provisioning laws;
• facilitating access to the state network of common user ports, rail lines and electricity infrastructure to create new opportunities.

ends