Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dale Last said a new Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health would be appointed in weeks.  

It follows concerns raised by the Mining and Energy Union (MEU) over stalled reform stemming from a delay in the appointment.

Stakeholders including employers, unions, and the regulator had not met for six months, MEU general president Steve Smyth said.

Main image: There were four fatalities in Queensland coal mines last year. 51 year-old Frank Thomas died in an accident on Oaky Creek mine north-west of Emerald in October.

“There’s been people who’ve been through the interview process ready to go and the minister has not appointed them,” he said.

“It’s extremely frustrating for all stakeholders, particularly for the union because at the end of the day the advisory committee is in place to provide advice to the minister on all these outstanding items and matters.

“Whilst ever he won’t appoint a commissioner, neither the coal nor the non-coal committees can meet to advance mine workers’ health and safety.”

Mr Last said the appointment was going through a thorough and diligent process, which would conclude in the coming weeks.

“We are undertaking this due diligence to avoid the failures made by the former Labor Government with its bungled appointment process for this role,” he said.

“The former Labor Government left this position vacant for almost a year. Then when Labor finally got around to a decision, their appointee quit a fortnight later.

“The Crisafulli Government is restoring respect for taxpayer money.

“We were elected with a mandate to stop Labor’s expensive failures, including its bungled appointment process for the Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health. This is the responsible approach that Queenslanders expect.”

There was a full agenda waiting for the new commissioner, Mr Smyth said.

“If you look at the fatalities from last year, the four fatalities from coal (involved) the areas around, again, supervision, areas around competencies.

“What happened at Grosvenor, ongoing issues around dust disease, and just generally the influx of workers we’ve had in the coal industry and the number of high-potential incidents and serious accidents we’ve had and the fact that we’ve not been able to still manage or control those events occurring and it comes back again to the level of training (and) competency. 

“But certainly for us it’s around the level of supervision and the people supervising the jobs each and every day of the coal mine.”

Mr Last said worker safety was the No. 1 priority for the resources sector and it was something he took very seriously. 

“That is why we are taking a responsible and diligent approach to this appointment,” he said.