Monday’s announcement of job losses across the North West rail corridor was disappointing. Aurizon is an important employer in the region and the loss of 76 staff members is substantial.
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Aurizon advised me that Cloncurry will have a nett loss of one position. This means seven current positions will be made redundant however six new driver positions will be put on in 2017.
The impact to Cloncurry is bad enough but with significant numbers lost in Mount Isa, and the impact to Hughenden this is devastating to the North West. The councils in the North West support each other well, and work together on projects and we will stand together to support our communities at this time.
It is important to remember that when talking about these positions, we are talking about real people, with real families that will need support and empathy.
The question I would like people to think about , including politicians, mining executives, QRail and Aurizon managers, is what is the balance between corporate sustainability and social responsibility, and more importantly, who is responsible for maintaining that balance.
I believe the answer to the ‘who’, is your local MP and Mayor. Unfortunately, we are often forgotten or excluded from discussions at a corporate or commercial level, probably because our question would be what’s best for my community? Rather than what’s best for the shareholders.
I, like my Mayoral colleagues, are always willing to provide input to business and government to ensure socially responsible outcomes are achieved for our communities.
2016 has been a year of positives for Cloncurry, with Ernest Henry Mine (EHM) successfully transitioning to underground, CuDECO’s Rocklands mine opening, construction at MMGs Dugald River and the $800 million investment by Evolution into EHM. Even without these projects having direct impact, this positivity should have been building confidence in industry, especially rail.
Council is looking forward to 2017 and working with the Cloncurry community and business community to make a difference. We will celebrate Cloncurry 150 years since Ernest Henry first discovered a rich deposit of copper. There will be plenty to celebrate so I encourage everyone to share their stories and get involved in our great Shire.
Have a safe and joyous Christmas, and continue to look after those doing it tough.
