This was published 3 years ago
More than 1000 jobs available in Queensland mining and resources industry
More than 1000 mining and energy jobs are up for grabs in the Queensland, with one-third of those positions available in Brisbane.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said despite COVID-19, international market conditions and commodity price fluctuations, the resources sector was continuing to hire staff.
The Abbot Point coal terminal.Credit: Glenn Hunt
“The resources sector already supports one in six jobs across the state and is playing a central role in helping Queensland work, earn and employ its way through COVID,” he said.
“Right now the resources sector is offering more than 1000 opportunities for Queensland jobseekers, both in Brisbane and in the regions.”
There were more than 1000 vacancies in the Queensland mining, resources and energy sector listed on a popular jobs website, including in Brisbane, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns and Mount Isa.
The mining industry boasts the highest average weekly full-time adult earnings in Australia at $2742, or more than $142,000 per year, according to Bureau of Statistics figures.
The average weekly earnings across all industries was $1815, or $94,380 per year.
Almost 194,000 Queenslanders were out of a job in January, as the unemployment rate hit 7 per cent.
However, Greens MP Michael Berkman said coal mining only employed about 1 per cent of the Queensland workforce and called for a comprehensive state government transition plan for resources workers as demand for fossil fuels, particularly thermal coal, declined.
In a post online, Mr Berkman also said the government should support workers affected by the transition with income support, access to free retraining, public housing and social support.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the industry supported more than 68,000 jobs across Queensland and represented $49 billion in exports.
“Queensland will be a coal exporter for many years to come, which means coal mining and jobs will be part of our economy for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“Queensland is naturally blessed with the world’s highest-quality metallurgical coal, which the world needs to make steel, which is required for renewable energy generators such as wind turbines.
“I would encourage all Queenslanders who want to be part of an exciting industry that is a vital part of Queensland’s economy to consider a career in resources.”
Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Minister Mick de Brenni said Queensland was not facing an “either-or” scenario.
“Queensland is expanding our renewables capacity to provide resources companies clean energy in the quantities they require to grow resource extraction and manufacturing jobs in Queensland,” he said.
“Supporting renewables is a key part of growing jobs and job opportunities in regional Queensland as we recover from COVID-19 and its impacts.”
Mr de Brenni said Queensland’s “renewable energy zones” initiative had received expressions of interest from 192 projects that would support 57,000 construction jobs alone and generate enough electricity to power the nation.
The Queensland budget, delivered in December, showed the state’s income stream from coal royalties suffered as the volume of Queensland’s coal exports fell 3.1 per cent in 2019-20 driven by a COVID-19 induced decline in demand.
Weakness in demand caused benchmark spot prices for hard coking coal and thermal coal to fall 24.5 per cent and 33.4 per cent from the beginning of the year to lows in August and September.
Reduced demand, the impacts of the pandemic and uncertainty surrounding Australian access to the Chinese markets were expected to lead to Queensland’s coal exports falling 8 per cent in 2020-21 before slowly recovering.