Department of Natural Resources and Mines to play no role in drafting laws around black lung disease

THIS Queensland Government department has been seen to be so incompetent in protecting miners from black lung disease, it has been cut out of the process of fixing the mess.

Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources and Mines will play no role in drafting legislation to help protect the state’s miners from black lung disease. File picture

THE Department of Natural Resources and Mines will have no role in drawing up legislation to protect the state’s coal miners from black lung disease after it was argued its incompetence rendered its involvement inappropriate.

A day after a damning interim report accused the department and others of “massive systemic failure” in keeping miners safe, Parliament voted to hand the power to draft laws overhauling safety, health and compensation processes to a committee rather than have the Government do it.

That was despite not having the support of all Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Select Committee members, with two Labor MPs going against Labor chair Jo-Ann Miller and three other MPs.

They argued that drafting legislation should be the job of Mines Minister Anthony Lynham.

But Ms Miller highlighted comments by the CFMEU’s Andrew Vickers, who outlined the inappropriateness of the department drafting legislation on behalf of Dr Lynham considering the harsh criticism it had copped for its own role in the health disaster.

Deputy chair and LNP MP Lawrence Springborg said the committee did not profess to be experts in the field, but he was confident it could do something “transformational” thanks to its excellent knowledge of the subject.

The development came as CFMEU Mining and Energy Division Queensland district president Stephen Smyth called for the immediate lowering of dust limits and setting up of a Black Lung Victims Fund.

“We look forward to being closely consulted on the recommendations and development of the policy response,” he said.

The Parliament also extended the committee’s terms of reference to allow it to probe those who handled coal in the state’s ports, rail yards and power stations and workers exposed to dangerous silica dust when digging Brisbane’s underground road network.

That followed the description of silica exposure as potentially worse than coal dust exposure by a US expert in the field.

Dr Lynham acknowledged the “potentially very concerning issues” raised by the committee and said those issues “may warrant closer scrutiny”.

He said steps had been taken to improve health and safety — such as mandatory public reporting of mine dust levels and an agreed process for clinical diagnosis — and vowed to introduce tougher laws as soon as possible.

The committee will hand down its final report in September.