Bligh Government gives explorers a helping hand

The Bligh Government is helping Queensland’s mineral explorers discover the mines of tomorrow by releasing new survey data covering 95,000 square kilometres of far north Queensland, Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said today.

Mr Wilson said the Queensland mining industry is up against the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and the Bligh Government is doing everything possible to support explorers.

“Today’s exploration leads to tomorrow’s jobs,” Mr Wilson said.

“Not only that, local communities and businesses rely on the money spent by mining companies and their workers. Every job in mining creates six other jobs in the local community.”

Minister Wilson said the new data covers parts of the Westmoreland region, south of the Gulf of Carpentaria and near the significant Croydon and Georgetown goldfields.

“The Bligh Government is taking the cost and risk out of mining exploration by helping explorers better identify areas of mining potential,” Mr Wilson said.

The release of the new data comes on the back of the Bligh Government’s announcement that it would fast-track around a dozen key mining projects to create more than 1500 jobs in regional Queensland.

“Unlike the National Party, we want to do all we can in these troubled economic times to stimulate growth and create jobs. They want to cut jobs, cut services and cut projects,” Mr Wilson said.

“When the National Party was last in power, Queensland’s unemployment rate spiked at more than nine per cent.

“Under Labor, we got it down to less than four percent.

“Only Labor has a proven track record of creating jobs in Queensland.

Media enquiries: Simon Hamill 3224 7332