The expected coal mining industry royalties growth prompted QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane to hit back at claims by Queensland treasurer Jacky Trad that the state's coal mining sector had no future and coal mine workers should retrain and learn new skills. 

 

"It's wrong to suggest Queensland coal workers won't have a long-term future," he said. 

"In fact, those jobs will be critical to ongoing development in Australia and around the world.

 

"The global demand for coal is strong, and coal is forecast to remain at about 40% of total power generation in the Asia Pacific by the year 2040 under a scenario modelled by the International Energy Agency.

 

"Figures from the Office of the Chief Economist's December update showed that if the six major coal projects in the Galilee Basin were to proceed they would create 13,900 construction jobs and 12,803 jobs during operations."

 

The coal industry employs 215,600 people directly and indirectly, out of the 316,000 employed across the state's resources sector. 

 

The majority of those jobs are in Central and North Queensland, according to Macfarlane.

"Resources jobs are jobs of the future," he said. 

 

"Queensland's coal employees work in one of the most important sectors for our economy.

 

"And it is the hard work of Queensland's coal employees which puts money in the bank for the Palaszczuk government.

 

"Those jobs create an opportunity that regional Queenslanders are ready to grasp, especially given mining jobs are typically high-skilled and high-paying.

 

"We welcome the focus of the Queensland Parliament on the resources industry and coal jobs.

 

"But that focus should be because Queensland is a resources heavyweight that delivers benefits for every single Queenslander and will do so in the future."