Job concerns about relocation and automation in mining industry

Queensland mayors have called for federal incentives to keep workers willing to work in regional areas as the threat of mining automation bears down on the regions.

Queensland mayors have called for federal incentives to keep workers willing to work in regional areas as the threat of mining automation bears down on the regions.

The Local Government Association of Queensland conference was the platform for mayors across many regional centres to highlight their fears about automation in the mining industry, with relocation a major threat to rural economies.

Whitsunday Regional Council deputy mayor Mike Brunker said he was concerned regional jobs would move to metropolitan areas.

“I see this as the greatest threat to regional and rural Queensland,” he said.

“I was expecting climate change to do the job on the industry, but now I believe automation will.

“I stood in the refinery in Port Hedland and saw all these operators there, and they said I was seeing a rare sight there because in three weeks all the jobs were moving to Perth.

Whitsunday deputy Mayor Mike Brunker is concerned regional jobs will move to metro areas.

“All of those jobs that could be done in Mount Isa and Mackay will be done in Brisbane and metropolitan areas.”

Mount Isa Mayor Danielle Slade said the Federal Government needed to offer incentives to prospective workers.

“The big issue is getting people to want to live in the community, that’s the issue,” she said.

“They all want to earn good money and be on the coast, we just can’t control them, no matter what we try to implement.

“Where the Federal Government could come in is, and it doesn’t have to be tax allowance, but it should be something that is a good incentive, in these resource areas.”

Isaac Mayor Anne Baker said she was “a walking example” of someone who moved from metro areas to regional cities.

“They go there for opportunity, they go into mining areas for two years, earn whatever the wages are, and 25 years later they’re still there,” she said.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said she had made the move to regional cities, much like many others.

“I grew up in Brisbane, spent a decade in Collinsville, three years in Emerald and 26 years in Moranbah.

“To say it can’t be done is just not true.”

Originally published as Job concerns about relocation and automation in mining industry