THE failure of federal parliament to repeal the mining tax last week will hurt the development of North West Queensland towns as well as mining companies, CuDeco LTL logistics manager John Green said.
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``Australia is not open for business, that is what it is telling the mining world,'' Mr Green said, shortly after attending the North West Minerals Province meeting at Cloncurry on Thursday.
Mr Green said the combination of the mining and carbon taxes had ``put Australia off the map'' because the production cost of ore had increased for smaller Australian mining companies including CuDeco.
Mining companies have become fearful about further investment in Australia because of tax increases, Mr Green said.
Mr Green said he estimated the loss of 8000 jobs across the mining and resource sector in Queensland since the taxes were created.
Mr Green said it was disappointing the mining tax was not already repealed.
In July the Senate will again decide if it wants to repeal the tax.
``We are just going to have to wait three months,'' Mr Green said.
He said the development of North West towns and communities - including Cloncurry and Mount Isa - were due to mining.
Mr Green said CuDeco helped the development of Cloncurry since drilling began at the mine site nearly 10 years ago.
CuDeco was known in the industry as a non-FIFO miner and for returning to ``traditional values'', Mr Green said.
If miners were able to wake up with their family before going to work, and returning to be with them that night, it provided a better workforce, he said.
Cloncurry Mayor Andrew Daniels said he actively lobbied against the mining and carbon taxes since Kevin Rudd first put them forward in Parliament.
Mr Rudd's government became ``quite savage'' when he continued to oppose it, ending needed funding to the region, Cr Daniels said.
Cr Daniels said mining companies including Xstrata continued to support the Cloncurry Shire through rates and building of infrastructure.
This included the weir built last year at Chinaman Creek Dam.
Cloncurry Shire Council, mining companies and local businesses saw the benefit of working closely together, Cr Daniels said.
Cr Daniels admitted the relationship between local miners and the Cloncurry Shire Council would not be negatively affected if the mining tax was not repealed in July, because ``they know I oppose it''.
Cr Daniels said he wished he could do more to ban the tax.
Cr Daniels feared that job cuts could potentially be made in Cloncurry mines.