Speaking last week at the Coaltrans conference in Brisbane, Pegler, also the chief executive officer of Ensham Resources, echoed a theme of growing concern to coal producers. He called for an industry-wide approach to put in place initiatives to address these ‘big picture’ issues.

“Sustainability is not simply an infrastructure issue and centres on the need to replace outdated stereotypes of the mining industry and find ways to attract young people and women to the resources sector or there will be a critical people shortage in the future.”

He said a good reputation for the mining industry meant a real commitment to health and safety, proactive environmental management and strong social and economic linkages with local communities. These things would help attract the best employees and leave financiers more comfortable about the future of an enterprise actively planning for longevity.

On the issue of increasing the numbers of people entering mining professions, Pegler said the attitudes of young people were completely out of sync with the realities of modern mining.

“If they think about us at all it is to see us through the prism of 10, 20, even 100 years ago,” he said, referring to a 2004 QRC study into the attitudes and opinions of the so-called ‘Generation-Y’

“According to many school students, there are a hell of a lot of picks and shovels in action out there in mines,” Pegler said.

The QRC is supporting developments such as the Queensland Minerals & Energy Academy, which aims to increase student numbers in studies relevant to the minerals sector, as well as increase interest in resources jobs.

Pegler said industry had a key role to play in partnership with the academy at a local level through providing work experience, structured industry placement, school-based traineeships, cadetships and vacation employment.

The QRC was also trying to attract more women to the sector because despite there being twice as many women in the sector now than 20 years ago, the female participation rate had only grown from 3% to 6%, he said.

“In the midst of what we know to be a long-term skills shortage, we can hardly afford to

discount the potential of half the country’s population.”