PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The future of unlisted QCoal’s Byerwen coal mine, in Queensland, has been called into question after most of the 400 workforce informed the company that they would quit, rather than move to the regional town of Glenden.

The Queensland government last week passed legislation to secure the viability of Glenden by granting QCoal a mining lease to operate a temporary workers camp for the coal mine, with the understanding that the company would be required to move workers out of the camp and progressively house them in Glenden, from 2025.

No workers were to remain at the camp after 2029.

“As a government, we always want to see rural Queensland towns benefit economically and socially from the resource projects that operate in their backyard,” Resources Minister Scott Stewart said last week.

“I understand why people are so passionate about Glenden and its long-term future. This plan will mean QCoal can continue production at Byerwen knowing that their workforce has accommodation options.

“But this also secures the long-term viability of Glenden, because QCoal will have to house their workers in the town. This issue is extremely complex, and I want to thank QCoal and the Isaac Regional Council for their input to this issue.”

The result has seen QCoal workers threatening to quit, with the state government being widely criticised for rushing legislation through Parliament and forcing Byerwen workers to live in Glenden, denying them their basic human rights.

“I respect our workers' decision, no one should be told where they must live," QCoal MD Christopher Wallin said on Thursday.

"The state government has turned its back on our workers."

He said workers were seething that such a major constraint on their lives had been passed into legislation without any consultation with them by State Mines Minister Stewart or any of his staff.

"Our workers won't accept this decision. They are angry," Wallin said.

“The government has had no engagement or consultation with QCoal about the Byerwen workforce.

“Byerwen workers do not want to live in Glenden. Many of the houses are old, in a state of disrepair and are full of asbestos. There are no basic services in Glenden and the town’s infrastructure, such as sewerage is not up to scratch.

“Everyone should have the right to choose their place of residence without restrictions. The state government is seeking to force our workers to live where they do not want to without consulting them.

“We have stood by our environmental impact statement commitment to provide our workers with choice about where they live and where they are accommodated during their working week, they simply don’t want to live in Glenden,’’ he said.

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has also condemned the legislation, saying it was made without consultation.

“QCoal has complied with all regulatory requirements required by the government, only to see the rules changed after the event without any consultation,” said QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane.

“Now the company is facing a workforce walk-out at a time when it’s already hard enough to attract enough skilled workers to the resources sector. The state government should have properly consulted all parties to find a solution that doesn’t have such a deep personal impact on the lives of mineworkers and their families. 

“It’s understandable that employees have serious concerns about being forced to live in substandard homes with substandard community services in Glenden when they already have suitable on-site accommodation available. It’s difficult to imagine the government doing this to any other industry.

“The resources sector supports 90% of jobs in the Isaac region and is the biggest contributor to the local economy.

“If Byerwen mine’s ability to operate to its full potential in the future is impacted by this decision and flow-on staff shortages, the economic consequences will be felt by businesses right across the region’s supply chain.”

Byerwen produced its first coal in 2017, and produces 10-million tonnes a year of coal at full production.

Glenden was constructed in 1982 by major Glencore’s predecessor as a mine-specific, purpose-built town with a 20-year life. QCoal previously noted that general amenities in Glenden, such as the local pharmacy, the supermarket, bakery, children’s playground and newsagency have all closed. Furthermore, there was also no doctor in the town as Glencore had declined to renew the contract when it expired this year.

Glencore itself owns an estimated 300 homes in the town, but has itself elected to expand its Hail Creek workers camp rather than accommodate them in Glenden. Glencore’s Hail Creek Camp is approximately the same distance from Glenden as the Byerwen mine.