Central Queensland will receive a new $30 million mining school, if Scott Morrison is re-elected as prime minister at the May 18 election.
The Liberal National Party promises the new CQUniversity School of Mines and Manufacturing – Gladstone and Rockhampton will help more people gain qualifications and well-paid work in the resources industry.
The new school is hoped to help train people locally in the industry and support more local employment in Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and across the Bowen Basin.
“We want to be a country that manufactures things like aluminium and develop world class resources, so we need to invest in regional jobs and skills. This new school will give workers and young people the skills across traditional trades and emerging technologies that are so important,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a public statement.
Federal Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd described Central Queensland as one of the country’s key hubs to support smelting, refinery and liquefied natural gas production and manufacturing.
“This investment will support hundreds of small and medium sized business and thousands of jobs,” he said.
Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan said the school will help meet growing demand for booming commodities.
“This includes growing demand for our traditionally strong exports of coal, iron ore, gas, gold and copper,” he said. “There is also surging demand for commodities that help drive modern products like lithium, nickel and rare earths.”
The school will also help train people in new industries like hydrogen and critical minerals.
The Liberal National Party previously introduced rules to give part-time miners the option to convert to permanent roles.
“These changes will protect not just the industry but also jobs and individual workers,” the party said.
The school will immediately create up to 320 jobs throughout the construction phase.
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