Queensland Resources Council urging voters to support mining and gas industries at the polls

The states’ peak mining and resources body will conduct a major survey of every Queensland candidate in a bid to lay bare exactly who will do best by the industry.

Queensland’s peak resources body will urge voters to back candidates who support the state’s mining and gas industry when they head to the polls this month.

The Queensland Resources Council will today launch its Protect Your Job campaign in the wake of Queensland having the highest unemployment rate in Australia.

And it has written to every candidate in each seat asking them to take part in a survey on the challenges and opportunities the sector faces, with responses to be published online.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said job security and job growth were the number one priority at this election.

“The mining and gas industry offers incredible, well paid job opportunities and actively recruits female and Indigenous employees to improve our sector’s diversity,” he said.

“Resources already supports the jobs of 372,000 people and 14,400 businesses, and last year contributed $74 billion to the state economy in direct and indirect spending.

“This highlights the need for people to vote for candidates who support jobs in the Queensland resources sector.”

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane. Picture: Kaitlyn Smith

As part of the campaign, billboards will go up, saying “Vote for candidates who support the mining and gas industry”.

It comes after the body came under fire for asking Queenslanders not to support the Greens party on October 31.

Mr Macfarlane said the industry was well positioned to “keep doing the heavy lifting for the state’s economy” but needed the next Queensland Government to be “ready to work hand-in-hand” with the sector to bring new projects and new jobs online as a priority.

“We have the resources and the expertise to expand in Queensland, but we need a State Government and a Parliament that understands how to balance its economic and environmental responsibilities to the benefit of the entire state,” he said.

“Keeping people in jobs and working and earning is the best way for Queensland to get through COVID-19 and is why we’ve launched our ‘Protect Your Job’ campaign which asks Queenslanders to vote for candidates who support the resources sector.”

Queensland’s peak resources body will urge voters to back candidates who support the state's mining and gas industry when they head to the polls this month. Moranbah, in Central Queensland, is one of the state’s well-known mining communities. Picture: Rae Wilson

Mr Macfarlane said Queensland mining and gas companies paid Australia’s highest rate of royalty taxes, last year contributing $4.5 billion to the state’s budget.

“If the next Government of Queensland can commit to holding royalty rates at current levels for the next 10 years, it would stimulate major new investments in mines and gas fields,” he said.

“That means resources companies would pay more royalty taxes overall into the state budget and fund more teachers, nurses, doctors, roads, hospitals and schools.”

Mr Macfarlane said both major parties had now committed to working with the sector to implement a Resources Industry Recovery Plan which he said was a crucial first step to getting a cohesive, responsible plan in place to secure Queensland’s long-term economic security.

Originally published as Queensland Resources Council urging voters to support mining and gas industries at the polls