Mayor John Molony said that's the best the city could hope for as the council lodged a submission into the House of Representatives' Standing Committee on Regional Australia's inquiry into FIFO workers tabling the issues facing cities like Mount Isa.

The inquiry was launched in August by Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean asking committees to look into a range of issues around FIFO and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) workforces including impact on individuals, communities and companies and long term strategies for economic diversification in towns with large FIFO/DIDO workforces.

Neither Mount Isa City Council nor the Chamber of Commerce had made submissions by the initial deadline but had created a detailed report submitted for review by the second February 3 deadline.

Council's submission highlighted several issues with FIFO/DIDO workforces including a loss of tourism, distribution of mining royalties, the impact of 'feeding' communities and taxation problems.

"The best outcome would be for an established community like Mount Isa which is under threat from fly in, fly out workers is for governments to indicate that new miners should become residential," he said.

"We need to construct more accommodation and (FIFO workers) need to utilise the community not just use it as an airport.

"Members of the community not employed by the resource industry face increasing rental/purchase pressures and are unable to compete with the resource-based workforce.

"This can result in many being forced to leave the community, or stifled development," the submission stated.

Cr Molony will attend an official hearing for the inquiry from February 21 in Cairns where he will speak on behalf of the city.