Queensland mining fly-in, fly-out rules under review

THE fly-in, fly-out staffing of Queensland mines that helped develop the coal mining boom was no longer guaranteed, Premier Campbell Newman said.

In a visit to Mount Isa, Mr Newman said FIFO was appropriate in remote mines but may not be necessary in projects close to cities.

"This Government believes in regional cities and towns like Mount Isa and we want to see regional Queensland built up.

"We don't want everyone to live in southeast Queensland.

"So what we have to do is take it on a case-by-case basis. If there are new mines to be built in close proximity driving distance from Mount Isa, preferably we will see the families coming here and people relocating here."

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The Government has the ability to restrict FIFO through its conditions and approvals to mines. Central Queensland communities have voiced their concerns about the huge impact the rostering system has on small towns where infrastructure and services are limited.
Mr Newman also used his visit to back a second study into the northwest minerals province based around Mount Isa.

He said Queensland was missing out on jobs and investment by not developing the $10 billion worth of uranium resources.

While environmentalists maintain there is little economic benefit to uranium mining, Mr Newman found strong support from former Labor mines minister and current Mount Isa mayor Tony McGrady who said he had been fighting all his political life for the ban to be lifted.

"People haven't yet come to understand the benefits of the lifting of this ban on uranium because in the process they will be able to find other deposits of minerals which will give a second lease of life to this area," Mr McGrady said.


BY: JOHN MCCARTHY From: The Courier-Mail January 18, 2013 1:00AM
Source: The Courier-Mail

$1.4 Billion Mine Boost Closer For QLD

Global resources giant MMG has endorsed the development of a mine at one of the world’s largest zinc deposits in Queensland’s northwest.The $1.4 billion Dugald River zinc mine project, located northwest of Cloncurry, will add an additional 200,000 tonnes of zinc a year to MMG’s production profile, whose operations at the company’s Century mine northwest of Mount Isa are due to end in 2016. Century mine currently produces approximately 500,000 tonnes of zinc annually.“This will be a significant investment for MMG and one which demonstrates our confidence in the long-term outlook for zinc,” said MMG chief executive officer Andrew Michelmore.MMG has identified zinc as a core commodity for the company’s future sustainability and growth. In the short term, a number of zinc mines are expected to exhaust their current Ore Reserves with mine closures peaking in the three years following 2015.“It is anticipated zinc production from Dugald River will contribute to meeting the expected increase in demand resulting from the continuing industrialisation of the developing world, in a commodity where mine closures and contractions are expected in the short term,” Michelmore said.

The project will see the development of an underground mine accessed by north and south declines. Run-of-mine (ROM) material will be hauled to the surface before treatment by an on-site concentrator.

Zinc and lead concentrate will be produced and transported by road to Cloncurry. A rail load-out facility at Cloncurry will be constructed, allowing concentrate to be transported via rail to Townsville, where it will be shipped or sold to local smelters.Approximately 600 jobs will be creating during the construction phase and 500 employees and contractors will be required once the mine is in operation.The mine is expected to have a positive impact on the local Queensland and Australian economy, including payments of more than $200 million in operating expenditure annually and annual royalties to the state of Queensland of approximately $15 million, subject to metal prices and production at the time.

The Dugald River project has an Agreement with the Kalkadoon People, traditional owners of the land on which the mine is being developed, ensuring training and employment, business development opportunities and cultural recognition will be provided for the life of the mine. MMG also has a close relationship with the Mitakoodi People whose history is linked to the Cloncurry township and areas to the south and east of the Dugald River project.The project will be commissioned in 2015 with the first ore feed expected in the third quarter. Based on current estimates, the first concentrate shipment is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Source:Design Build

Major Projects Forecast

The engineering construction workforce required to deliver Queensland’s major projects will need to at least double over the next four years. From around 15,300 persons in 2011/12, the major project construction workforce is expected to rise to just over 30,000 persons by 2014/15. According to the analysis of major projects, work done on major mining and heavy industry construction projects is expected to rise from $5.4 billion in 2011/12 to nearly $14 billion by 2013/14. Most of this growth will be driven by oil and gas ($3.4 billion in 2011/12 to nearly $8 billion by 2013/14) and coal workforce demand.At the end of the forecast period, in 2015/16, the near completion of several major projects in the list (LNG and coal) drives an easing in major project work done and estimated there remains a strong possibility that new mining and heavy industry projects will be revealed over the next few years which could sustain activity at very high levels in 2015/16 and beyond.