BUSINESS leaders want a federal government to appoint a fly-in, fly-out co-ordinator to help Cairns provide workers for the mining industry.

A new report has recommended Cairns should have a development co-ordinator, to develop links between resources projects in remote locations and skilled workers including the unemployed.

The co-ordinator would be hired for two years and if the pilot position proved successful, it would be replicated in other areas.

The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce report suggests the co-ordinator be based in Cairns, due to an existing service bad and a sizeable pool of
jobseekers.

The report says fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) jobs presented important employment opportunities in construction and operations of new resource developments for communities with above average unemployment rates, such as Cairns.

Advance Cairns has been lobbying the Government for support to capture the FIFO market for months.

Chairman Russell Beer said Cairns was ideally placed to service new mining activity in regions such as Papua New Guinea.

This would include supplying skilled and professional labour, supplying construction materials, maintenance and repair services, equipment and machinery servicing, and education and training services and facilities.

Mr Beer said a co-ordinator would allow Cairns to take best advantage of these FIFO
opportunities.

"We think we can parlay this into some success for the region and increased employment," he said.

Leichhardt MP Jim Turnour said the report’s recommendation showed Cairns was recognised nationally by the mining industry, the education and skills sector.

"I’ll be continuing to push the case for Cairns to be the fly-in, fly-out hub for northern Australia and the Pacific region," he said.

Share this article