Isaac Regional Council has welcomed the approval of the $1 billion Olive Downs project as a vote of confidence in the future of Queensland coal mining.

“There is a lot of discussion about the future of coal – and of course demand and prices will always fluctuate – but investments like this show it has a strong long-term future,” acting Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said.

“The Isaac Region already has half the coal mines in Queensland and produces at least half of the approximately $4 billion a year in coal royalties that go to the Queensland Government.”

Test of new resources communities legislation

Cr Vea Vea also highlighted the council’s expectations for local community benefits from Olive Downs – the first mine in Queensland to be assessed under the Strong Sustainable Resource Communities (SSRC) Act.

“It’s the first mine to have legislated social conditions to ensure the project not only minimises impacts on communities but maximises benefits and opportunities to regions,” she said.

“The SSRC Act is about conditioning projects of state significance so that communities and regions hosting large-scale economic growth should not be experiencing social health and well-being, and the liveability decline.

“Our communities fought long and hard for this legislation and our council has played a key role in helping build it.

“Now, we get to put rubber to road and see if it does what it’s designed to do: create opportunities and benefits for communities hosting large-scale projects, and not be locked into destructive workforce arrangements.

“We have worked hard with State Government and Pembroke Resources to make sure Olive Downs mine will not only hire permanent workers from our regions, but also facilitate the opportunity for them to relocate if they want to.

“The Olive Downs project should mean secure jobs and income for our region, State and nation for decades to come.”

Opportunities for local and regional suppliers

Pembroke Resources said today it was committed to providing workers with an opportunity to live in local towns including Moranbah and Dysart, and was building sustainable futures for people in the communities in which Olive Downs operated.

It said the project would also provide opportunities for local and regional suppliers, contractors, service providers and the wider business community.

“We are extremely pleased to have been granted the Mining Leases, having consulted extensively with the local community over the past four years,” Pembroke chairman and chief executive officer Barry Tudor said.

“In addition to our commitment to the environment, we have focused on creating local jobs and proactively engaged with all stakeholders, including establishing a strong relationship with Barada Barna as the traditional owners of the land, with whom we have an Indigenous Land Use Agreement and Cultural Heritage Management Plan in place.”