For the twelve months to March 2004 saleable output rose 3.17% to 156.819Mt. Open-cut mines contributed the most to the increase, along with underground mines Moranbah North and Oaky Creek No. 1, according to official figures from Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.

Exports were 4.8% down however to 31.666Mt. The culprits were port maintenance, port congestion due to cyclonic weather, berthing delays and vessels awaiting cargo following a stockyard machine incident at the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal. Total exports for the twelve months to March 2004 increased by 4.81% to 133.042Mt.

Exports to all regions increased during this twelve month period. Exports to Japan increased by 0.542Mt or 1.1%, exports to other Asian countries increased by 3.843Mt or 9.23%, exports to Europe increased by 416,000t or 1.58% and exports to other countries increased by 1.305Mt or 13.66%. Coking coal exports for the 12 months are up 6.19% while thermal coal exports are up 2.03%.

The state’s underground mines are still struggling to match last year’s performance. In the March quarter longwall mines produced 5.092Mt, down on the 6.559Mt produced last March quarter. Underground output of 2.195Mt for the month of March was also marginally down on the 2.253Mt produced last March.

The number of people employed increased by 13.19% compared with March 2003. Employment in the Queensland coal industry was 11 695 positions compared to 10 332 positions at March 31, 2003.

Increased employment occurred in Queensland’s Northern district where there was an increase of 481 positions in the opencut mines, including 274 positions at the new Hail Creek and Moorvale mines, and a slight increase of 22 positions in the underground mines. In the Central district, opencut mines increased by 551 positions and underground mines by 263 positions.

Overall productivity for the March 2004 quarter decreased by 16.28% from an average of 58.77 tonnes per shift for the March 2003 quarter to 49.20 tonnes per shift in the March 2004 quarter.

Productivity for the twelve months to March 2004 was 13 949 tonnes per person, a slight decrease of 369 tonnes or 2.57% when compared to the previous twelve month period.