Close to 1,200 job vacancies are expected when mining company Billiton Mitzubishi Alliance (BMA) begins its $4 billion coal project. The jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase.

BMA management, however, wants the Queensland Government to allow 100 percent of its workforce to operate on a 'fly-in, fly-out' basis. Australia's largest exporter of seaborne metallurgical coal was granted a conditional approval for its initial operations in the Caval Ridge mine near Moranbah. One of the conditions is for at least 30 per cent of the workforce to be resided in the town.

Isaac Regional Mayor Cedric Marshall is apprehensive about the proposed change. "We want to be able to maintain our towns to a certain standard and we need to attract the people for these communities and there are a number of families that would prefer to live together rather than the fly-in, fly-out basis," he said.

Mr Marshall insisted that land acquisition and building houses may require time, but that it would not take too long to build in time for the start of mine operations in 2014.

Dual Listed Company (DLC) BMA is expecting a surge in demands for coal in China and in India. Eleven projects are lined up to complete its expansion of existing operations and development of new mines.