Queensland’s resources sector has no future without its workforce. Every miner deserves to go home safe, every shift.
And when tragedies do occur, those families left behind deserve answers, accountability and change.
Last month, the Attorney-General Deb Frecklington and I announced a major reform that will fundamentally improve how incidents in our resource industries are investigated, with the establishment of a dedicated Mining and Resources Coroner.
It means justice will be delivered faster – restoring trust in the system, and ensuring real lessons are learned.
Respected North Queensland barrister Wayne Pennell has been appointed to the role. He’ll have all the powers of a coroner, but with a singular focus: to conduct thorough, timely inquests into accidental deaths at mines, quarries, and gas and petroleum sites.
This dedicated coroner will not only provide much-needed closure to families, but also deliver findings and practical recommendations that industry, regulators and the government alike can act on to improve safety.
It’s the latest step in our broader agenda to restore integrity and leadership in Queensland’s resources safety framework.
This month, a full independent review into Resources Safety and Health Queensland led by the University of Queensland’s Professor Susan Johnston will get underway.
Professor Johnston is a respected expert with decades of experience. Her review will put the organisation under the microscope – examining the role of the regulator, and whether any modifications to the existing model, or any alternative model, would be more effective in ensuring and improving resources safety and health outcomes.
Ultimately, we need to ensure that Queensland’s health and safety frameworks are functioning in a way that delivers the best safety outcomes for workers in the resources industry.
From the day I was sworn in as Minister, I have made it clear that my top priority is safety.
The high-vis heroes who keep the lights on in Queensland deserve a system that won’t look the other way when things go wrong.
I’m focused on delivering a stronger, safer and more accountable resources sector – and that starts with a system that listens, responds and improves.
Hon Dale Last MP
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Senator for QLD
