Queensland’s Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning has just announced that $3.6 million will be going towards a Mackay mining centre in a government-led bid to boost jobs. The funding aims to further increase opportunities for apprentices within the region, intending to drive research and innovation within Queensland’s mining sector.
“The Mackay Resources Centre of Excellence will be a one-of-a-kind facility in Queensland that will tap into local expertise to provide training and education, biomedical research, product innovation and demonstration, as well as having tourism potential,” announced the Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick, earlier this morning. The Palaszczuk government has also stated that they will continue to be focused on generating knowledge-based jobs for the future, aiming to create communities that are ‘positioned for growth’.
Assistant Minister for State Development and Member for Mackay, Julieanne Gilbert, expressed that the Mackay Resources Centre of Excellence will become a ‘game-changer’ for the community.
“We recognise there is a skills shortage in the industry, so basing the Centre of Excellence in Mackay, where it is most needed, is great news for people seeking safe, accelerated training so they are better equipped to find work in Queensland’s mining sector,” she said.
The Mackay Resources Centre will host an underground coal mine simulator, made available for testing, demonstrating and filming new mining equipment, in addition to allowing for the operation of mining products in confined spaces. The Mackay Resources Centre will give tourists a first-hand look at what it is like to work in an underground mine, as well as providing a place that new emergency response procedures can be practised and refined. The resources sector plays a significant role for the Mackay area, currently paying more than $1 billion in wages to more than 8600 full-time employees in the region.
“In addition to the Centre of Excellence providing a ‘living lab’ environment for industry training providers and private mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies, it will be particularly beneficial in fostering collaboration between researchers and business and driving innovation and commercialisation,” shared Mayor for Mackay, Greg Williamson.
Once operational, the centre will support three new full-time jobs in management and scientific research roles, and staff will begin to map genuine test mine sites. The underground coal mine simulator will be able to replicate physical conditions so that testing can be in real or close-to-real conditions, as opposed to laboratory-based conditions.
The centre will be delivered by Mackay Regional Council in partnership with the Resource Industry Network, with room for operational involvement from tertiary education providers in the future. Minister Cameron Dick clarified the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning will continue to work with the Mackay Regional Council, the Resource Industry Network and other stakeholders to confirm the location of the centre.
“Aligned with the Palaszczuk Government’s Advance Queensland agenda, the facility will augment resource-related training and research and will be a catalyst for future innovation and investment in the region,” the Minister announced.
Construction on the centre is predicted to start in early 2019.
More information on this initiative can be found here.
