People should have their say on FIFO projects
This year the Palaszczuk Labor Government brought in a new Bill on Fly In Fly Out.
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The ALP are the only party to bring in legislation to stop Mining Companies having 100% of the employees FIFO.
This will mean that large Mining Companies, who have been declared to be local to a community, will have to advertise their jobs in that community.
“Local” means within 125km radius.
“Large Mining Companies” mean a workforce over 100 employees.
A local applicant cannot be discriminated against by where he or she lives and if that local applicant is equal to any of the other applicants, they are to be given preference.
All contractors working on site will have to also adhere to the same legislation.
This will mean more local jobs and also more work for local contracting companies who may of in the past competed against interstate companies.
The Coordinator General is currently in the process of determining what towns in the vicinity of large mines will qualify as regional towns under the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017.
The Coordinator General will make a decision after formal commencement of the Act, expected in March 2018, and after engaging with key stakeholders.
If the SSRCA does apply to these mines, it will be mandatory under the Queensland legislation to follow this Act.
The Palaszczuk Government takes this commitment very seriously and the first local applicant to challenge a Mining Companies decision not to employ them, will find the Mining Company will indeed have to explain their choice.
I am encouraging all stakeholders including the councils and members of the public to all reach out to the Coordinator General’s office and provide comment on their views of whether the SSRCA should apply to mines such as Capricorn Copper, MMG, Lady Loretta and other mines that are close to your local community.
I have already written to the Coordinator General and given him/her my honest thoughts and I encourage the general public and key stakeholders to take the time to do this.
If any person requires assistance in formulating a letter to the Coordinator General please contact me and I will be happy to assist.
CONTACT DETAILS:-
Attn: Coordinator General
Coordinator General’s Office
Department of State Development
PO Box 15517
City East, Queensland 4002
Danielle Slade
ALP candidate for Traeger
Glencore and taxes
I am no taxation expert, but I am reliably informed the financial dealings of Glencore are all fine and dandy and above board.
It appears that it is legal for them to earn $10.4 billion in revenue in 2016 and yet pay no company tax.
Zero, zip, nil, not one single red cent.
Even worse, they received a rebate, courtesy of the long-suffering Aussie taxpayer, of $37 million.
I suppose we will not achieve real crackdowns on corporate tax avoidance while we have a government with a leader that is so fond of tax havens himself.
George Harley
Mount Isa
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Letters commenting on election issues must bear the name and full address of the writer(s).
Responsibility for election comment in this issue is accepted by North West Star editor Derek Barry, 112 Camooweal Street, Mount Isa, Qld.
Writers should disclose any alliance with political or community organisations and include their telephone number for verification. Election candidates should declare themselves as such when submitting letters.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
