New jobs to be created at BMA’s CQ mine tech hub

Roles to be based at new automation control room, BMA says

AUTOMATION: BMA has revealed it will rollout driverless vehicle technology over the next two years at the Goonyella Riverside mine site. Picture: Christian Sprogoe Photography

MORE than 50 new full-time permanent jobs will be created at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's Goonyella Riverside mine as a result of automation, the company says.

BMA has revealed the new jobs will be based at a new automation control room to be created at the mine site.

The announcement came after the CFMEU called on BMA to commit to a list of demands, including no redundancies, after the company revealed it would rollout driverless vehicle technology at the mine site over the next two years.

The union wants no forced redundancies for workers affected by automation, additional jobs and apprenticeships in other parts of the business and remote operations centres to be based on or near affected mines.

A BMA spokesman said there would be no forced redundancies as a result of the introduction of automated trucks at Goonyella Riverside.

"Just last week we announced 62 new BMA apprenticeships," he said.

"I can also confirm no existing roles will be relocated to Brisbane or anywhere else as a result of the announcement."

The spokesman said the company was having difficulty even filling the roles that will be removed through the automation of the truck fleet.

"The reality is that we have to park trucks up because we don't have drivers for them," he said.

Goonyella Riverside mine is operated at the site in Central Queensland, and the spokesman said that would continue to be the case after the introduction of autonomous trucks.

Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham met with BMA asset president James Palmer on Wednesday afternoon to seek assurances no jobs would be lost at the mine as a result of automation.

Originally published as New jobs to be created at BMA’s CQ mine tech hub