Mine bosses face jail under new industrial manslaughter legislation

Mining bosses found responsible for the deaths of miners could be sent to jail after the Queensland parliament passed industrial manslaughter legislation.

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Anthony Lynham. Picture: Daryl Wright

Mining bosses found responsible for the deaths of miners could be sent to jail after the Queensland parliament passed industrial manslaughter legislation.

The new criminal offence follows the deaths of eight workers in the state’s coal mines and quarries in less than a year, and a May 6 explosion at Anglo American’s Grosvenor underground coal mine in central Queensland that badly burned five workers.

Unions applauded the move as a result of their lobbying of the Palaszczuk government for years, while the Queensland Resources Council said it would work with the government to ensure there were no “unintended consequences for mine safety” from the law.

Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said the legislation created Australia’s toughest mine safety laws and would see executives face up to 20 years’ jail if mine and quarry workers died because of their criminal negligence.

“In the past two years we’ve had eight workers die, and a gas explosion in an underground coal mine has put five miners in hospital,” Dr Lynham said on Wednesday. “It’s not acceptable.

The rest of the state’s industries already have industrial manslaughter provisions. But a revolt from the mining sector ahead of the 2017 state election forced the Palaszczuk government to drop its plans to include the resources industry in those initial reforms.

The LNP Opposition did not oppose the legislation, but Opposition MP Christian Rowan expressed concern it breached fundamental legislative principles.

Opposition mines spokesman Dale Last criticised the government for too few unannounced inspections of mine sites, and for failing to properly respond to the recommendations in the Black Lung White Lies report into the re-emergence of coalworkers’ pneumoconiosis.

CFMEU state president Stephen Smyth said Wednesday’s reforms would save the lives of mine workers.

Anglo American’s Grosvenor coal mine in central Queensland.

“These laws aren’t just about punishing the guilty. They’re about making people accountable for safety on their watch,” Mr Smyth said.

“Mine safety is a multi-dimensional issue and there is no silver bullet, but accountability for individuals in positions of authority is absolutely critical.

“The CFMEU has advocated strongly to extend industrial manslaughter laws to the mining industry, while the employers have fought hard against them. It is a great achievement to have new laws in place to value and protect the safety of Queensland mineworkers.”

Australian Workers’ Union state secretary Steve Baker also praised the introduction of a system that would punish bosses who target workers for raising safety concerns.

“The AWU was one of the only organisations to specifically call for tougher penalties for bosses who go after workers who speak up about safety,” Mr Baker said.

“We’ve done this because we believe that no worker should ever have to choose between keeping their job or looking out for their workmates.”