Build a safe and resilient future workforce

Worker safety and health must characterise all aspects of the resources industry. Government and industry must also work together to invest in skills and training to ensure Queenslanders can seize job opportunities presented by technological innovations and the shift towards low-emission technology.

What we want to achieve by 2050

• Queensland’s resources industry employs more Queenslanders, providing high-wage, highly skilled, safe and fulfilling careers.
• The resources industry is diverse and inclusive, representing host communities and providing careers that young people want to pursue.
• While the workforce, mechanisms and methods used for mining will have fundamentally changed, the industry will have prepared workers to take advantage of the benefits of automation and digital transformation, ensuring that regional communities are thriving and jobs are still local.

What we will do to achieve these goals

Queensland’s resources industry employs around 77,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the state. The industry has been a profession of choice for Queenslanders for decades and will continue to offer fulfilling careers as it transforms.

The Queensland Government is working with the industry to ensure Queenslanders can seize job opportunities along the whole resources supply chain from exploration, to extraction, processing, advanced manufacturing, and the METS industry. We are also partnering with the Australian Government to prepare, train and upskill current and future workforces.

Worker safety and health must underpin all resource operations in Queensland. The protection of workers must come before profit and productivity considerations. The Queensland Government will continue to enforce its strong resources safety and health legislation to ensure the safety and health of all workers in the sector.

Actions to build a safe and resilient future workforce

These actions will ensure the Queensland Resources Industry continues to be a safe, rewarding and future-focused employer of choice for its workforce.

Read through the list below, or view the full list of actions for every key focus area in the plan.