JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (Appea) on Friday announced that it had joined the advisory board to help drive the Queensland government’s 30-year ResourcesQ initiative, aimed at promoting resources investment and jobs in the state.
In terms of the initiative the Queensland government said that, throughout 2014 it would work in partnership with the resources sector to develop a shared vision for Queensland resources over the next 30 years and an action plan to deliver that vision.
This long-term vision would aim to position Queensland as the best state to do business in the resources sector, present the Queensland government as modern and efficient, with an economic growth and development agenda, foster greater industry and investment confidence in Queensland, shape future government policy, provide a basis for measuring the government's performance to ensure customers' needs are met and ensure that all Queenslanders prosper from resources now and in the future.
As one of the steps to draw up the action plan, the Queensland government, on Thursday, held a ResourcesQ industry leaders forum to discuss the future and vision of the resources sector.
The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (Amec) was involved in this forum and stated that it was encouraging to see the state government recognising the value of the midtier mining and mineral exploration companies, and the resources sector as a whole, adding that by supporting the resources industry now and into the future, Queensland would provide certainty and clarity for the future of the resources industry.
Other initiatives planned for 2014, in terms of ResourcesQ, included the signing of a partnership agreement between government and peak bodies for the resources industry, during the first half of the year, and the organisation of regional stakeholder workshops to discuss the proposed vision and the way forward from an on-the-ground perspective.
These workshops would take place in April, following which a ResourcesQ forum would be held in July to finalise the shared vision and develop the action plan to achieve this.
ResourcesQ then expected to release its partnership report, 30-year vision and action plan in September this year.
Meanwhile, Appea COO Paul Fennelly pointed out that extraordinary progress had been made in Queensland as the gas industry moved to complete almost $70-billion worth of liquefied natural gas projects that would soon deliver cleaner energy to the world.
“While New South Wales and Victoria continue to struggle with developing their own resources, the Queensland government is setting a benchmark in planning for the future,” Fennelly said.
He added that, as there were many challenges ahead if the state was to secure further investment amid growing resources competition overseas, Appea was pleased to be a part of government’s ResourcesQ partnership group that would be mapping out a strategic pathway that sought to address sliding competitiveness and secure global investment.