The Act was introduced by the Palaszczuk Government in March 2018. The first of its kind in Australia, it sought to ensure local communities benefitted more from nearby mining projects, through a ban on 100 per cent fly-in, fly-out workforces and other rules intended to sustainably boost local economies.

The Office of the Coordinator-General recently interviewed stakeholders about the effectiveness of the rules and found support for the Act to be retained, with the ban on 100 per cent FIFO so far found to be delivering positive benefits to communities.

According to a consultation report, there has also been an increase in the number of local workers and their families, in communities near mine sites, “however this may be attributed to reasons such as resource company ‘live-local’ policies, rather than a direct result of the Act”.

While mining companies suggested the Act did enough to benefit local communities, 66.7 per cent of the local government stakeholders consulted by the office, and 63.6 per cent of the community stakeholders, argued it did not. Others said it was too early to tell.

The office has recommended a further review of the Act be taken once more projects have rolled out, as well as long-term data collection to be able to monitor the effectiveness of the rules. That could see companies being given Key Performance Indicators on measures such as local workforce numbers, purchasing from local businesses, and promotion of business opportunities.

The office has also recommended an awareness campaign regarding the anti-discrimination provisions that exist to protect local workers. There have been no complaints, but the office wants be sure there has been no discrimination.

The government is required to complete a review of the Act and has called for broader feedback on the stakeholder consultation and the recommendations from the office.