Terms of Reference

Background

The Queensland Government committed to undertaking a review of all existing up to 100% Fly-In,-Fly-Out (FIFO) resource projects in Queensland.

Resource projects in Queensland are assessed and may be approved under a number of Acts including the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (State Development Act), the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Environmental Protection Act), and the resources acts (e.g. Mineral Resources Act 1989).

This review is separate to but will support the Queensland Parliamentary inquiry into FIFO workers and mental health impacts agreed to by Parliament on 27 March 2015. The Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee will report back to Parliament by 30 September 2015.

Scope

The review will investigate the use of FIFO during the operational phase of resource projects in Queensland including:

• Identification of 100% or predominantly (i.e. 90% or higher) FIFO resource projects in Queensland including those projects near a resource town or a regional community
• Existing approvals and existing approval processes for FIFO, including monitoring and reporting by resource companies
• Characteristics of the current workforce for predominantly FIFO projects – e.g. principal place of residence, gender, cultural background, new industry entrants, apprentices
• The workforce profile of resource towns or regional communities near predominantly FIFO resource projects
• The economic costs and benefits for resource towns/regional communities as well as source communities from predominantly FIFO workforce arrangements
• The economic costs and benefits for companies and individuals choosing a predominantly FIFO workforce as an alternative to a resident workforce or to a workforce with a FIFO component
• The circumstances where predominantly FIFO workforce arrangements may be appropriate, where a suitably skilled workforce is not available in a nearby resource town or a regional community, including consideration of the productivity impact on other resource projects and other industry sectors
• Policy or legislative options in relation to 100% FIFO resource projects located near a resource town or regional community
• Any other relevant matters the review panel considers appropriate.

The findings of the review and recommendations will be provided to the Minister for State Development.

Consultation

• Consultation will be undertaken with targeted stakeholders (e.g. local governments, industry, peak bodies, and relevant government agencies) within affected communities across Queensland.

Membership

• The review will be undertaken by:
• Mr Leo Zussino, Former Gladstone Port Authority Chairman (Chair)
• Councillor Anne Baker, Mayor of Isaac Regional Council
• Councillor Deirdre Comerford, Mayor of Mackay Regional Council
• Dr Geoff Dickie, Chair of the Queensland Exploration Council.

Timeframe and reporting

• The final report will be provided to the Minister by 31 July 2015 and will be tabled with the Parliamentary Committee Report after consideration by the Government.

Secretariat

• Secretariat support will be provided by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.