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QLD mines to end 100% FIFO under new legislation

FIFO Workers

Queensland mines will have to ditch 100% fly-in fly-out and hire locally under proposed Queensland Government legislation.

Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham said yesterday that the government would legislate for no 100 per cent FIFO operations in new mines where nearby regional towns have a capable workforce.

The legislation would also see existing 100 per cent FIFO operations consider locals for employment.

“This Government believes workers should have choices,” he said.

“If people want to live in regional communities they should have the opportunity to apply for jobs at nearby resource projects.”

Dr Lynham told Parliament the government’s plans would deliver strong and sustainable resource communities for Queenslanders.

The plans are detailed in the government’s response to the report of the Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee and an independent FIFO review panel.

The committee made 27 recommendations towards improving the outcomes from large resource projects for workers and regional communities.

The government’s response detailed a range of measures to be adopted, including:

  • improved social impact assessments by mining companies
  • workforce plans that maximise the opportunity for local workers to get jobs
  • workers to live in local existing housing, or in purpose-built villages, where there is community support
  • accommodation that provides a safe, clean and healthy environment for workers

“This will build communities, increase opportunities for employment and allow competitive local businesses to get the maximum benefit from the projects,” Mr Lynham told Parliament.

“Procurement plans are also required to ensure competitive and capable local businesses are given full, fair and reasonable opportunity to win contracts on these large resource projects.”

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker welcomed the announcement.

“Finally some direction towards fairness for local jobs for local people,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

“Finally a state government who has taken the time to listen taken the time to reason and been prepared to introduce policy and legislation to introduce genuine choice for all workers, business and industry.”

Queensland Regional Council chief executive Michael Roche said the laws will “stifle” the industry.

“The announcement today by the Queensland government to introduce new laws to parliament in response to the recent FIFO inquiry is deeply concerning to the industry and could pose a serious threat to investor confidence in the state,” Mr Roche said.

“Many of the proposed changes flagged today would not help existing and future resource operations to compete or thrive in what is an increasingly competitive global market.

“At a time when the resources sector is facing very difficult market conditions, more red tape will heap extra costs upon resource companies, which are doing everything possible to compete globally and employ thousands of Queenslanders.”

Mr Roche said the council accepts that all parties in the Queensland parliament do not support future 100 per cent mining operations, “however we do not support any retrospective regulatory action against existing mines”.

“The current arrangements at two Bowen Basin mines in relation to FIFO were put in place by the previous Labor government to address what was then an extremely tight labour market and should not be tampered with for political purposes,” Mr Roche said.

“We understand circumstances have changed since this time, but retrospective action is never welcome. The rules of the game should not be changed after they have been agreed to.”

8 Comments

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  • Well theres only two 100% fifo operations Caval Ridge amd Daunia which is OK.

    But the ones complaining are the ones that live mainly in Moranbah.

    But you go put a mine in the middle of nowhere such as a desert, you are not going to get the work you require.

    I hate to take my wife out to the middle of nowhere and expect her to stay.

    Atleast if they are in civilisation they can see their friend work in the jobs they like, enjoy what life has to offer.

    I think a narrow minded bunch of people with their own self interest are at play.

    They didn’t tell you when the boom was on rents exceeded $1000 a week, most things are very expensive and if you want your children to have a higher education than they must leave.

    So tell me where the family is in that?

    A mining town is just that a mining town.

    • It’s two too many. This isn’t about making people relocate to regional areas it’s about if you want to FIFO fine, but if you don’t and you want to live in the local community you should be eligible to apply for jobs on merit not what your postcode is. I am a mother of a school age child, degree qualified and live locally but I am unable to apply for jobs at the mine fifteen minutes drive from my house. Not everyone can leave their children for a week or two to fly away to work. I also have no wish to live in the city. We have had to endure a boom where we had to pay through the nose for everything only to have the downturn and then this imposed on us and have us discriminated against so we could not apply for jobs at these two new mines. This is a wonderful community who
      Are fighting for equal rights. We are not the ones who set the huge rents when it was booming but we had to pay them, now qualified local people have restrictions about where they can work, just bloody unbelievable what the people in this town have had to endure.

    • Karen Belousoff

      Maybe people like you should live in the middle of nowhere like the Great Sandy Desert. Like Telfer whete I worked for 10 years!

      No tell me how would you like living in 50 degree heat, sand storms thousands of flys etc!

      Having no real services on hand, if you want a dentist or a doctor you have to travel many hours, possibly a day just to see one.

      The only 100% fifo operations are Caval Ridge and Daunia within the district of Moranbah.

      Considering that there are most likely 100 plus mines around Moranbah which all have the option of live in the surounding towns.

      But to restrict everyone to your way of thinking is wrong.

      Now put in the latest Carmichael Mine, whats the main town for there????

      Well there isn’t one, so fifo, bibo or dido is the only option at this point.

      To build a mining town is a very expensive option considering when the mine is finished, so is the town.

      Places like Moranbah are mining towns which goes through boom bust cyles, not like Biloela which is agricultural.

      Now as you said pay through the nose well many people got sick of paying through the nose and being ripped off woth rents was just absurd as it took most of a persons pay.

      So that leaves no option than to commute to from out locations.

      It also give family members better opportunities in life, as who want their children to be just miners.

      What I hear from you is selfishness and nothing more.

      For the miner who does the week on week off is gives us the best of both worlds as when we are at work thst is what we are there for so our minds are 100% on the job.

      But this just over 2 mines in the area which is a bit rich considering there are lots more without fifo.

  • It has successfully worked for well over 30 years for BHP in the Pilbara. In a little town called Newman. Whaleback is virtually 100% residential. If companies want the people. Incentives to relocate to an isolated area for the employee they want. Works well.

  • Be interesting to see how this will really work. You will have 2 guys work together doing the same job 1 working a standard 5 day week living in a middle of nowhere town paying his own rent or mortgage at high mining town rates and feeding himself and family who the mining companies will want to pay less because he is not FIFO, and the other guy on a FIFO wage for being away from family being given free flights free food and free accommodation on a 14/7 roster

  • I’ve been in mining 25 years. Spent first 18 years residential at various mines around the country. Had my family with me. Came home to them every night. Have only worked fifo for last 8 years. Kids are all grown up have have excellent education and jobs. Would not change a thing of how I brought my family up.