Mining Jobs Queensland

Mining is one of the biggest and most important industries in Queensland. Its economic contribution to the state is significant in terms of taxes paid, infrastructure development and jobs. Mining jobs Queensland have attracted many workers to date and continue to have a good outlook. World demand for coal, bauxite and other minerals and resources is currently high and expected to sustain for the longer term.

The mining industry works in close partnership with the state government. The administering state agency is the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport & Recreation. In February 2007, the department produced a report titled A Sustainable Futures Framework for Queensland Mining Towns. The report identifies several unique challenges confronted by mining towns mainly as a result of the highly cyclical nature of the industry. The report discusses various policy options the government has available for assisting mining communities to best manage those challenges. Individuals contemplating joining the mining industry will find much useful information in the report. The report focuses on coal mining in the Bowen plus Surat Basins. These reserves are located in the southeast quadrant of Queensland. The chief mineral resource in these regions is thermal coal.

The main port towns with facilities to load coal on ships for export are Abbot Point (north of Bowen), Mackay (Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point coal terminals), Gladstone (RG Tanna, North Galdstone and Barney Point, South Gladstone coal terminals) and Brisbane (Fisherman Island coal terminal). Hay Point Coal Terminal. Is one of the most important coal loading facilities. It is owned and operated by BHP Billiton. A A$230 million Phase 2 expansion of the facility was completed in 2007 to lift capacity by ten percent to 44 million metric tons per annum. Further expansions through Phases 3 and 4 are planned to ultimately increase loading capacity to as much as 57 million metric tons per annum.
Main coal mining towns in Bowen Basin include Baralaba, Blackwater, Biloela, Bowen, Capella, Clermont, Collinsville, Coppabella, Dysart, Emerald, Glenden, Moranbah, , Moura, Nebo, Tieri, Middlemount, Rolleston, , Springsure and Theodore. Key towns in Surat Basin are Chinchilla, Dalby, Miles, Taroom and Wandoan. In Mulgildie Basin, the main mining town is Monto. Most of these towns are small with populations of only a few thousand people or less.
Many of the mining workers in these town are regularly transported to and from the towns by their companies on a fly-in-fly-out or drive-in-drive-out basis to complete extended work-leisure rotations that extend over several weeks.
Weipa is another important mining town. It is located in the far north of the state facing the Gulf of Carpentaria on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula. The area has easily accessible and massive bauxite reserves and the town is a large producer and exporter of the resource. The mineral was discovered in 1955 and mining started soon after in 1962. The town has a population of about 3,000 people.
Given the large volume of coal, bauxite, natural gas and other mineral reserves in the state plus the high level of international demand for these resources into the future, mining jobs Queensland will likely continue to provide significant economic opportunities for workers for many years to come.