PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the state government’s decision to grant a mining lease for the proposed Dysart East underground coal mine, being developed by privately-held Bengal Coal.
QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane said on Friday that the decision to issue the mining lease until 2039 had the potential to create much needed construction jobs and operational jobs over the life of the mine.
“Around 200 jobs could be created for the Dysart East underground coal mine, which has a target to produce about 1.9-million tonnes per annum of prime hard coking coal,” Macfarlane said.
“It’s more good news for the coal industry. Queensland metallurgical coal is used in steel and other forms of manufacturing and is enjoying increased global demand.
“A lot of people talk about diversity in our sector in terms of employment, but we also need diversity in the size of the companies involved in producing and this lease allows smaller coal deposits to be mined.”
Coking coal is a major contributor to Queensland’s economy and a key part of the state’s resources sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every $6 dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16 400 business across the State all from 0.1% of Queensland’s land mass.