Mines in Queensland Pirate Retail, Bank Workers

Queensland mines are poaching workers from the banking and retail sectors in a bid to fill up vacancies in the state's thriving mining industry.

While the sector is already suffering from a manpower shortage, a report released Tuesday by the Queensland Resources Council warned that the number of vacant jobs could go up to 35,000 positions in the next two years.

Industry stakeholders urged changes in policies ranging from apprenticeships to immigration in a bid to address the skilled labour shortage of Queensland's mining sector.

Like other Australian states where mining is enjoying a boom, Queensland forecast the industry would pay over $8 billion in royalties to the state government, which is thrice the current level if all planned projects would push through. The estimate came on the same day that the Australian Parliament passed the $11-billion mining tax law.

The industry warned that unless major policy changes are made, a portion of the $142-billion mining projects in the pipeline could be lost particularly if not enough manpower is available to work the mines.

The resource boom has also benefited the food retail industry. According to Steve de Kruijff, head of Xstrata Copper, some local food companies have to fly-in and fly-out workers also due to insufficient workers to meet the food demands of miners.

McDonald's confirmed it is suffering from a manpower shortage in Queensland, while KFC said instead of flying in and out local workers it tapped migrants using 457 visas to fill management posts.

Gary Black, executive director of the National Retailers Association, added that many mining towns in Queensland such as Mt Isa, Mackay, Gladstone and Toowoomba are resorting to use overseas workers in mining sites.

How Queensland officials would manage the mining industry would be a factor in the state election in early 2012.

A few months away from the election, Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman accused on Wednesday Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser of endangering the state's economy by welcoming the mining and carbon taxes.

"State Labor has failed to properly manage the growth of resources industries in Queensland but this must not be an excuse for a power grab by the federal government to hold approval powers over Queensland resources development," The Australian quoted Mr Newman, who demanded that the federal government return to Queensland taxes taken from the resources sector.

Xstrata Chief Executive Mick Davis joined Mr Newman in denouncing the newly approved mining tax because it would make Australia less attractive to investors, he said at the opening of the company's new $1 billion-mine in Hunter Valley.