PERTH (mininingweekly.com) – The resources sector contributed about A$77.6-billion to Queensland’s economy in 2013/14, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) reported on Monday.

Releasing the 2013/14 analysis of Queensland minerals and energy company spending by state electorates, QRC CEO Michael Roche said the results put to rest any misconceptions that resources sector benefits did not flow to all parts of the state.

“In parts of the south-east, there is a misconception that minerals and energy production benefits only resource regions when the data is absolute in declaring Brisbane the biggest mining town in Queensland,” Roche said.

Roche noted that the resources sector was responsible for A$37.7-billion of economic activity and almost 200 000 full-time jobs in the Brisbane region in 2013/14, based on the distribution of wages and salaries and purchase of goods and services from 6 539 businesses.

Economic activity generated in the electorates of Ashgrove and Inala totalled more than A$1-billion.

“Ashgrove residents and businesses benefited to the tune of $149-million through wages paid to 285 full-time employees and purchases totalling $22-million from 80 local businesses,” Roche said.

“The economic flow-on is calculated to have generated an additional $78-million and another 805 jobs.

In Inala, the resources sector was responsible for an economic injection of A$919-million, largely created by purchases totalling A$409-million from 174 Inala-based businesses.

“As a result, another 4 405 jobs were supported by the resources sector in addition to 143 full-time employees who call Inala home.”

Roche said every one of the state’s 89 state electorates enjoyed a share of the sector’s A$77.6-billion economic contribution to Queensland in 2013/14, with Gladstone emerging as the regional stand-out with A$8.4-billion generated, largely as a result of liquefied natural gas industry development on Curtis Island.

Roche noted that Queenslanders also directly shared in the fruits of the resources industry, with the some A$2.5-billion paid to the state government for the provision of essential services including roads, hospitals and schools.