QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche said that while the major political parties continued to show strong support for the resources sector in Queensland, there needed to be a firm commitment from an incoming state government to sustain the benefits from a vibrant and internationally competitive resources sector.

He said in order to maximise the opportunities offered by the sector, which was directly responsible for more than $2 billion in state government revenues last financial year, a focused and coordinated policy response is required.

“At the head of this process is a policy framework that encourages minerals exploration,” Roche said.

“It's simply not enough to have minerals in-situ. The natural endowment must be complemented by government policies that say to an exploration manager that Queensland is a better destination for new investment than anywhere else in the world.”

Roche said policies needed to include education and training partnerships that were “able to offer every Queenslander an opportunity to play a part in the future of the sector in communities from Weipa to the NSW border.”

Roche said it was acknowledged publicly by three successive Queensland Treasurers that the state's economic performance owed much to the government revenues generated across the State through exploration, mining, minerals processing and energy production.

“The key to Queensland's economic powerhouse status is its reputation as a reliable supplier of high quality minerals and energy, domestically and internationally.

“If we don't respond efficiently to new trading environments and opportunities, we risk that reputation, and market share,” Roche said.