OPPOSITION Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk divided Queensland’s regional mining communities with her policy to put a stop to all 100 per cent FIFO mining projects in the state.
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Very few would argue that, in a perfect world, they would love nothing more than for there to be no need for the FIFO work practice. Despite the exorbitant wages, the toll it can take on mental health is immeasurable and sometimes fatal.
Much of the industry was aghast at Labor’s policy but it was worth closer inspection to reveal its intentions for a brighter future for our youth and communities.
Labor’s Mount Isa candidate Simon Tayler clarified that there were extenuating circumstances that left no practical option but to use FIFO.
The wide expanses between communities in remote Queensland are reason enough to justify FIFO in some remote areas.
The only other option is to deny Queenslanders jobs and leave valuable resources in the ground.
But if Labor is in power and allowed to implement the plan, it appears to be setting the state on a pathway for a stronger future.
Exactly how immediate the changes can be viably implemented – and for Queenslanders to see their benefits – will be the real challenge.
For Queenslanders to want to live in a remote mining town, they need the same luxuries to those living on the coast. They want fair prices for flights, petrol, housing – and they don’t want diminished services.
As it is now, some communities simply don’t have the infrastructure or housing to be viable living options near mining projects.
The policy is a step in the right direction, but there are many more bridges to cross before our regional mining communities are livable enough to retain a long-standing workforce filled with the next generation of skilled young locals.