CQ Clout

On State of Origin game day last year my aspiration was for the Queensland team to run onto the field with ‘Carried by CQld’ emblazoned across their jersey. A year on this aspiration looks less likely to happen. Apparently it is official we’ve entered the post mining boom construction phase. So where’s all the money that was made during the boom? What have Blackwater and Moranbah gained; poor drinking water and worker camps! What has Central Queensland learnt from the boom and do differently when the Galilee Basin commences? The Federal Government is in negotiations with China for a free trade agreement (FTA). One of the sticking points is utilising Chinese labour on China owned projects in Australia. If this point is conceded what is the value to Australia if the infrastructure is built by foreign labour and the profits are sent overseas along with the resource harvested or mined. Foreign investment appears to be a necessity for some developments to occur, especially big ones. However if Australians aren’t getting jobs to work on these projects, especially the youth what are the returns for Australia. We can’t allow this labour issue to be conceded under the guise of skill shortages. In fact a condition of these foreign investments should be that Australian youth make up 25% of their workforce. At least the skills and experience they acquire will provide a short and long term return to the economy. Youth unemployment has to be seriously addressed. Central Queensland as a whole needs to be more vocal about development within its borders; where the labour is sourced from, the labour force mix, use of local suppliers, how royalty payments are utilised. Combined the councils of Central Queensland have political clout. They should be getting together to maximise the opportunities the Galilee Basin potentially offers. By Councils individually approaching the mining companies and State and Federal governments a divide and conquer strategy is played out where we might end up with an international FIFO workforce. It is Central Queensland resources that are being mined and harvested, CQ needs to make this clearly known and have a major say in how it is to happen.