Townsville has topped the stats for transferring FiFo workers in and out of North West Queensland.
Around 1,780 workers accounted for arrivals and departures as of June last year.
That’s included in the latest report from the Queensland Government Statistician’s office.
The North West Region Industry Resources Industry Workforce report collates information on the characteristics and place of residence of the workforce as at June 2024, which totalled 8,620.
It showed employee figures were more than twice the number of contractors and more resource workers were employees in Mount Isa than Cloncurry or McKinlay shires.
Around 1,430 flew in and out of South East Queensland and there were 660 workers using Cairns as their entryway.
The vast majority of resource workers, 89 percent, were engaged in metalliferous mining operations and processing while the balance were in other resource industries including phosphate and vanadium.
At 18,945 Mount Isa (including Burke Shire) also had the largest overall population and accounted for more than half (51 percent or 4370) the region’s resource workers.
Cloncurry had 35 percent of all resources industry workers or 3,005 and McKinlay had 1,245 or 14 percent of resources workers.
McKinlay boasts Cannington and Eloise Mines and the more advanced vanadium projects. New Century Mine is In Burke Shire.
There was little travel to work between local government areas in the North West.
The four LGAs included in the report were Mount Isa City Council and Cloncurry, McKinlay and Burke Shire Councils.
The figures are likely to change next financial year with big developments. The first is the closure of the Mount Isa Copper Operations (MICO) which will see underground operations and the smelter shut down.
The smelter is pending an investment decision.
The other development likely to skew the figures is Harmony’s Eva Copper Project. They company has said it would need 800 people in the building phase and 300 permanent staff.
Harmony has indicated part of that workforce would come out of Mount isa.
McKinlay Shire hosts the advanced Saint Elmo and Debella vanadium projects owned by Multicom Resources and Vecco Group respectively.
