Timely confidence boost for resources communities

MORANBAH: The Queensland Resources Council has welcomed the first round of funding under the Sustainable Resource Communities Agreement, announced today by Premier Anna Bligh.

QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche said the commitment of almost $27 million to community infrastructure projects for the Bowen Basin was timely news for the region amid economic uncertainty created by the global financial crisis.

‘Mining regions like the Bowen Basin and North West Queensland are traditional lightning rods for global economic conditions,” Mr Roche said.

“And while we cannot point to light at the end of the tunnel for a global recession, resource communities can take a measure of comfort from the government’s commitment to keep their economies ticking over.’

The $100 million Sustainable Resource Communities Agreement signed in August 2008 was a product of lobbying by the Queensland Resources Council and Local Government Association of Queensland to deliver a more equitable return to resource communities from royalties generated by the mining industry.

‘QRC commends the state government on today’s Bowen Basin package and looks forward to working with them and local governments to progress support for other resource communities doing it tough.

‘Queensland’s resource communities are at the frontline of an economic storm moving with unprecedented pace and severity.

‘With effective government support, I am confident that these communities will not only weather this storm but emerge from it with the confidence necessary to pick up where they left off in 2008,’ Mr Roche said.

Media contact: Jim Devine (07) 3295 9560