The Bowen Basin’s non-resident population at latest count was the highest recorded since the peak of the resource construction boom in June 2012.

The latest figures reflect an increase of 7 per cent in the region’s non-resident workforce – that is the number of fly-in/fly-out and drive-in/drive-out workers on shift at the time – between June 2023 and June 2024.

This took the total to 23,825 people, the highest since the June 2012 peak of 25,035, according to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office.

The figures are drawn from an annual survey of accommodation providers conducted across worker accommodation villages (WAVs), hotels, motels, and caravan parks.

Most non-resident workers recorded on-shift in the region in June 2024 were working at existing coal mines.

Maintenance and project construction at some coal mines also contributed to the region’s non-resident population, according to the report.

Overall, the Bowen Basin’s coal industry workforce was about 44,200 strong in June 2024, an annual increase of about 1300 persons or 3.1 per cent.

Wind farm construction and power station works also boosted the non-resident population in some areas.

Changes at Bowen Basin mines during 2023–24 included the following:

• Mount Carlton gold mine in was placed on care and maintenance in July 2023.
• Bluff coal mine transitioned to care and maintenance in the March quarter 2024.
• Production at Grosvenor mine was suspended following an underground coal gas ignition incident on June 29, 2024.
• Operations at Millennium complex ceased on June 28, 2024.
• Olive Downs Complex produced and shipped its first coal in January 2024.
• The first pit at Wilton–Fairhill mine started in December 2023, with first coal railed in March 2024.
• Redevelopment continued at Peabody Energy’s Centurion mine (formerly North Goonyella), with first development coal produced in June 2024.
• Mine rehabilitation works at Newlands mine near Glenden advanced during the year after the site came to the end of its mine life in February 2023.
• Construction work on stage one of the 450 MW Clarke Creek Wind Farm progressed in 2023–24.
• Work on CS Energy’s Callide Power Station near Biloela continued during the year to June 2024. Callide Unit C4 returned to service in August 2024 following the rebuild of the generating unit and cooling tower.
• Operations and development works at Santos GLNG’s Arcadia and Fairview gas fields in the southern Bowen Basin were ongoing in 2023–24. Other companies including Denison Gas, QPM and WestSide Corporation maintained their gas operations in the region.

The report found that the Bowen Basin’s WAV bed capacity totalled 29,875 beds in June 2024, an increase of 30 beds over the year.

The proportion of vacant and available hotel/motel rooms in the region fell to 20 per cent in June 2024 from 21 per cent a year earlier.