The state government has allocated $100 million for a Resources Community Infrastructure Fund in a joint move with resource companies.
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Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Cameron Dick said the Fund would deliver the money over three years towards projects to improve economic and social infrastructure across Queensland's resources communities including the North West.
"While COVID-19 has wrought terrible damage on the lives and businesses of Queenslanders, some of our traditional regional industries like mining and agriculture have spared us from even greater economic damage," Mr Dick said.
"They've kept Queenslanders employed and continued to generate export revenue for our state.I am pleased that by partnering with Queensland's mining sector, we are able to deliver for regional resource communities through this new fund."
The new fund will supplement existing planned state community infrastructure with the Treasurer committed to $30 million to the RCIF over three years.
The state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Queensland Resources Council for resource companies including Glencore to make contributions to the voluntary fund totalling $70 million over the same three years.
QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the RCIF would be in additional to the $74 billion in economic contributions to the Queensland economy including more than $5 billion in royalty payments to the Queensland Government.
"The agreement on the Fund also delivers on the Government's commitment in May last year to maintain the current rate and threshold for coal and metal royalties," Mr Macfarlane said,
"The resources industry has worked so closely with the Government to flatten the COVID-19 curve and keep as many of the 372,000 Queenslanders who depend on us for their work and wages."
An expert Advisory Committee, comprising Government, resource community and industry representatives, will review and make recommendations for allocating funding for community infrastructure projects in Queensland resource communities.
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