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Rural communities in Queensland Australia are more than a little unhappy about state politicians and government agencies allowing mining firms like BHP to set up self-contained separate mining towns cut off from local communities or simply letting miners fly in and out without ever becoming part of local life.
ABC News reports the Queensland Planning and Environment Court’s approval of a ‘self contained mining community’ is ridiculous and may set a dangerous precedent, a local council claims. The council want the 750-head camp integrated into the town of Collinsville (map below).
Earlier in October Australian Mining reported on Queensland Mining Communities president Kelly Vea Vea saying Queensland MPs need a backbone check after allowing BMA to use a 100 per cent FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) workforce at BHP Billiton’s (ASX:BHP) Caval Ridge coking coal mine.
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6 Comments
Bill Jackson
Sounds like this demand is commerce and tax based. A FIFO would not take part in the local economy and may not pay local taxes, with no use of local services, why pay taxes? But the local politicians possess greed and avarice, which does not look good,so they cloak their request in more social terms
Scott Reece
I wouldn’t like to see a potential for precedence; part of the advantage of mining is its contribution to small rural communities.
Bill Jackson
Moderation in all things is the watchword here. Too often towns reach out and try to tax mines on the basis of the $500 million it cost to build the mine. The mine gets zero benefits, no fire protection, no police protection but since the whole town is only worth a few million, the mine pays a huge proportion of the town’s taxes – until it is worked out – then the town – grown fat on these unjustified taxes – dies. Towns should not look on mines as cash cows to tax. In fact, if the town provides no services = no taxes at all.
There will be number of jobs the townies might be able to do – if there is a road?
Those jobs will help the town – that’s enough
Geo
I think they have a valid point, this is happening at my operation too. The material is mined in my back yard but the labour is being more and more sourced from cities 800km or more away. It is not about taxing the mining company but keeping the labour local.
Teresa Beyerstein
I have worked in Northern Ontario, BC and Alberta for 5 years now and they have all been remote camps, some fly-ins. Local Hire is widely used for the labour jobs with encouragement to apply for the less labour intensive jobs. It is good PR for the companies and gives remote towns employment.
Robocon
We have the same thing in the oil and gas fields of northern BC, Canada. FIFO provides nothing to our community and little use of local talent. It IS our backyard..and a lot of people would like to work….but the hiring is done out of province. The town remains at 5000 pop with no growth. Seems a little unfair considering the billions in natural resources being taken from our local area.