Published Thursday, 21 August, 2008 at 03:50 PM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Far North’s aviation sector set to capitalise on mining industry growth
Growth in Cairns, Townsville and Mackay region mining projects over the next five years will boost workforce demands by 36% a new study has revealed.
Announcing the findings of the Cummings Economics study today Minister for Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said the growth in northern Australian mining operations and industrial projects, as well as those in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, represented enormous opportunities for the Far North.
“While the huge opportunities generated by the mining boom in Central and North Western Queensland are well known, we shouldn’t take our eye off the ball as Cairns could also benefit heavily,” Ms Boyle said.
“One of the big winners is set to be Cairns’ aviation sector, providing fly-in, fly-out operations for miners living in Cairns, transporting on-site workers on R&R and providing training services for the large and diverse workforce.
“Regional aviation services are vital to growing the region’s ability to service the mining sector both in Australia and internationally.”
Ms Boyle said Cairns’ well-established domestic and international air connections, its significant general aviation services and maintenance capacity were compelling competitive advantages.
“Currently there is a weekly capacity of approximately 4,000 seats for servicing mining centres, equating to over 200,000 seats a year,” she said.
“This is expected to rise as more projects come on line.
“Aviation is also an industry earmarked for development through the State Government’s Centres of Enterprise initiative here in the Far North which means we are putting the work in now to make the most of these types of opportunities,” she said.
Ms Boyle said the study had identified some 500 projects in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea and Eastern Indonesia.
“Cairns is the perfect base to provide a workforce across the region with our fantastic climate and lifestyle, relatively affordable housing and everything you could want in a major metropolitan centre in the tropics,” she said.
“We are a closer source of supply to the Darwin and the Kimberleys areas than other major centres including Perth and we’re also in the perfect position to generate business from mining operations in PNG and Eastern Indonesia.
“In fact proposals for two major PNG projects near Port Moresby alone are talking about an expatriate construction workforce need peaking towards 10,000.”
Ms Boyle said training providers could also move to capitalise on what is certain to be a growing demand for a ready workforce.
“In the past our workforce strengths have been in areas such as tourism, fishing and agriculture,” she said.
“Growing the education sector is a particularly beneficial opportunity for diversifying the regional economy.
“Here is an opportunity to not only attract workers to the region but also to develop and promote our potential mining workforce and suppliers – particularly when we know in the past that PNG mining companies have sent workers to Melbourne for training when we’re right on their doorstep.
“I certainly support industry efforts already underway in this area.”
Ms Boyle said the study would now be handed over to the Resource and Industrial Taskforce under the auspices of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and regional aviation stakeholders for further action.
“I thank the Cairns Chamber for Commerce for their consistent efforts in realising the potential mining opportunities in the region.
The Mining and Industrial Projects – Services Opportunity Study was funded by the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry.
Ends
Media contact: Marcus Taylor - 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
21 August 2008
Announcing the findings of the Cummings Economics study today Minister for Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said the growth in northern Australian mining operations and industrial projects, as well as those in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, represented enormous opportunities for the Far North.
“While the huge opportunities generated by the mining boom in Central and North Western Queensland are well known, we shouldn’t take our eye off the ball as Cairns could also benefit heavily,” Ms Boyle said.
“One of the big winners is set to be Cairns’ aviation sector, providing fly-in, fly-out operations for miners living in Cairns, transporting on-site workers on R&R and providing training services for the large and diverse workforce.
“Regional aviation services are vital to growing the region’s ability to service the mining sector both in Australia and internationally.”
Ms Boyle said Cairns’ well-established domestic and international air connections, its significant general aviation services and maintenance capacity were compelling competitive advantages.
“Currently there is a weekly capacity of approximately 4,000 seats for servicing mining centres, equating to over 200,000 seats a year,” she said.
“This is expected to rise as more projects come on line.
“Aviation is also an industry earmarked for development through the State Government’s Centres of Enterprise initiative here in the Far North which means we are putting the work in now to make the most of these types of opportunities,” she said.
Ms Boyle said the study had identified some 500 projects in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea and Eastern Indonesia.
“Cairns is the perfect base to provide a workforce across the region with our fantastic climate and lifestyle, relatively affordable housing and everything you could want in a major metropolitan centre in the tropics,” she said.
“We are a closer source of supply to the Darwin and the Kimberleys areas than other major centres including Perth and we’re also in the perfect position to generate business from mining operations in PNG and Eastern Indonesia.
“In fact proposals for two major PNG projects near Port Moresby alone are talking about an expatriate construction workforce need peaking towards 10,000.”
Ms Boyle said training providers could also move to capitalise on what is certain to be a growing demand for a ready workforce.
“In the past our workforce strengths have been in areas such as tourism, fishing and agriculture,” she said.
“Growing the education sector is a particularly beneficial opportunity for diversifying the regional economy.
“Here is an opportunity to not only attract workers to the region but also to develop and promote our potential mining workforce and suppliers – particularly when we know in the past that PNG mining companies have sent workers to Melbourne for training when we’re right on their doorstep.
“I certainly support industry efforts already underway in this area.”
Ms Boyle said the study would now be handed over to the Resource and Industrial Taskforce under the auspices of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and regional aviation stakeholders for further action.
“I thank the Cairns Chamber for Commerce for their consistent efforts in realising the potential mining opportunities in the region.
The Mining and Industrial Projects – Services Opportunity Study was funded by the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry.
Ends
Media contact: Marcus Taylor - 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
21 August 2008