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Deal finalises safety concerns over rescue services

AN agreement was reached last week between mining unions and the Queensland mining industry over ...

Staff Reporter

The deal was struck during talks in Brisbane between Queensland Mines Minister Stephen Robertson, Labor backbencher Jim Pearce, mining union leaders and senior officers from the Queensland Mining Council (QMC) and the Queensland Mines Rescue Service (QMRS).

The QMC and QMRS proposed the creation of a Technical Advisory Committee to provide advice to the QMRS on equipment, training and callout procedures, which was accepted by all parties.

QMC's chief executive officer Susan Johnston said it was a rational and positive outcome.

'The industry has always been happy to consider any specific matters raised regarding the health and safety of mine workers, and we trust that all the parties will now focus on making the Technical Committee succeed to its full potential,' Johnston said.

The committee will be independently chaired by a senior officer from the Queensland Government's internationally-recognised Safety In Mines Testing and Research Station (SIMTARS), and include a CFMEU health and safety officer, a trainee representative, two industry representatives and a government Mines Inspector.

The meeting also agreed to the codification of the roles of the QMRS Board, member companies, chairman and state manager in a Corporate Governance Charter that would be made available to all key stakeholders in the mining industry.

A review would also be conducted in 12 months time to assess the effectiveness of the QMRS service as a result of the changes agreed to today.

"There was tremendous goodwill displayed by all parties at the meeting and the agreement we reached goes a long way to addressing the mining safety concerns raised by Mr Pearce and the CFMEU," Mines Minister Stephen Robertson said.

"The agreement reached also provides a means to move forward on this issue which, at its heart, is about ensuring a world class mines rescue service for Queensland's underground mine workers," he said.

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