Mining jobs surge to eight-year high despite China coal bans
The number of jobs in the Queensland coal industry has reached a record 40,000 as exports jumped 19 per cent in December despite China’s import bans.
BHP is selling the Daunia and Blackwater mines (Pic: BHP)
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics jobs data also showed Queensland recorded the highest number of jobs in resources since 2013, with an increase of 23 percent over the previous quarter to reach 78,369 jobs.
And more jobs have emerged today with the announcement that 160 jobs were up for grabs as a north Queensland gold mine ramps up its expansion efforts.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the Ravenswood Gold project would bring on an additional 60 permanent positions and more than 100 construction jobs this year.
China’s coal bans have forced companies to divert exports to Japan, South Korea and India and have also left China with lower-quality coal from places such as America.
Effectively, the ban shifted the destination of seaborne coal but there had also been a fall in prices.
The Queensland Resources Council said the value of the state’s resources industry had been proven again.
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the huge quarterly increase in coal jobs demonstrated how crucial the resources sector was to the state economy and to jobs.
“December trade data also shows the value of Australian coal exports rose by 26 per cent over the previous month, showing coal continues to be an important part of the global energy and industrial mix and will be for years to come,” he said.
“In terms of Queensland, December was a very good month for coal tonnes, with state coal exports up 19 percent on November, increasing from 16 million tonnes to just over 19 million tonnes.”
This is 18 per cent higher, or nearly 12,000 more jobs, than the same period in 2019, which was unaffected by the global pandemic.
Macfarlane said oil and gas jobs have also recovered strongly, increasing 147 percent between the August and November quarters.
He said the state’s resources companies continue to perform and exceed expectations in spite of COVID-19, which benefits every Queenslander through taxes, royalties, exports, jobs and business opportunities emanating from the sector.
“Our companies are also leading the way in exploring and investing in new economy minerals, technologies and renewable energy projects so we can continue to contribute to the state economy and to jobs in the long term,” Macfarlane said.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the resources sector and Queensland is in an ideal position to benefit from our resilience and innovation.”
