Win for all in mining boom
CAIRNS is to become a big winner out of the region's mining industry growth.
In particular the aviation sector will get a major boost as more mines use Cairns as a fly-in, fly-out base for their staff.
A new report released yesterday by Regional Development Industry Minister Desley Boyle forecasts a 36 per cent growth in mining and industrial projects in the next five years.
It comes at a time when elected and business leaders are looking for new opportunities for the region to grow following a decline in tourism.
The findings are contained in the report, the Mining and Industrial Projects - Services Opportunity Study, prepared for the government and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce by economist Bill Cummings.
It looks at opportunities that will be generated by the mining boom.
Ms 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.
"One of the big winners is set to be our aviation sector, not only in providing fly-in, fly-out operations but also for transporting on-site workers on R&R – which will then have other flow-on effects to our local economy," Ms Boyle said.
"Regional aviation services are a vital key to growing the region's capabilities 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 about 4000 seats for servicing mining centres," she said.
The study had identified some 500 projects in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea and Eastern Indonesia which could use Cairns as an employee base.
"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," Ms Boyle said.
Proposals for two major LNG projects near Port Moresby alone are talking about an expatriate construction workforce peaking towards 10,000.
The report highlighted the potential for training providers to capitalise on a growing demand for a ready workforce, Ms Boyle said.
The study has been handed over to the Mining Industry Taskforce under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and aviation stakeholders for further action.
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R&R: Cairns is perfectly situated to become a major fly-in, fly-out base for mining staff.
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