QLD Mining & Energy Bulletin

QLD Mining and Energy Bulletin Winter 2011

QLD Mining and Energy Bulletin

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QUEENSLAND LAUNCH BREAKFAST A bout 250 people attended the launch of the Queensland Exploration Council at a breakfast in Brisbane on 24 March 2011. The new body aims to position Queensland as Australia’s minerals and energy exploration leader by 2020, with Brisbane at its heart. Initiated by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), the new Queensland Exploration Council (QEC) features a who’s who of the resources world, drawn from major and junior resource companies, government, events and marketing, broking and finance, accounting, legal, academia and research organisations. “Events of this week where QRC member Sibelco had existing mining leases cancelled on a political whim make promoting the state as an exploration destination all the harder, however we are a confident lot, and this will not deter us in our determination to restore investors’ faith in Queensland,” QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche said. “With the world clamouring for our minerals and energy resources and some of our larger mines coming toward the end of their life, we need to encourage explorers to find those next big deposits to retain the economic stimulus this sector brings to the state,” Roche said. “Unfortunately, with the policies we are seeing out of government such as Wild Rivers declarations, proposed strategic cropping land legislation, and now the cancellation of mining leases, Queensland’s rating as a secure place to invest has taken a tumble. “In the latest Fraser Institute survey Queensland has scored poorly with its rank on the overall Policy Potential Index falling from 24th in 2009-10 to 38th in 2010-11. 18 QLD Mining and Energy Bulletin Winter 2011 “Queensland was ranked 8th in the not so distant past of 2006-07.” The new Queensland Exploration Council aims to lift the profile of the importance of exploration, both in terms of underpinning the growth and sustainability of the state’s resources sector and the huge potential spin- off benefits in Brisbane as a service centre. “The QEC will do that by influencing perceptions of the importance of exploration and by promoting Queensland’s minerals and energy prospectivity to investors and to businesses providing support services,” Roche said. “Leading this push will be QEC’s inaugural chair Geoff Dickie, who recently retired as the Queensland Government’s Deputy Coordinator General. “Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role with his career in both state and federal governments where he was closely involved with policy and programs in support of the resources sector, and as a qualified geologist heavily involved in the junior resources exploration and development sector, both in Canada and in Australia. “The QEC has already developed an ambitious program of events and other initiatives to promote the importance of exploration. “One such initiative is to publish each year an annual scorecard that will track Queensland’s progress towards the goal of being Australia’s exploration leader by 2020.” Images 1. QRC’s Andrew Barger, centre with Rachael Cronin and Theo Psaros 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. QRC President Steve de Kruijff with Dave Mason and Nick Stump AusIMM President Alice Clarke with Simon Crouch and Bill Bourke Inaugural QEC President Geoff Dickie with Dan Hunt QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche and Ian Fletcher Steward McDonald, Roger Marshall and Colin Myers Dan Hunt, Geoff Dickie and Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan Michael Roche with the Minister for Employment, Skills and Mining Stirling Hinchliffe and speaker of the House John Mickell 9. From left, Robin Polson, Dan Hunt, Michael Roche, Minister Hinchliffe, Steve de Kruijff, Geoff Dickie, John Mickell and Dave Mason 10. Steve de Kruijff 11. Minister Hinchliffe 12. John Aitken Brisbane Marketing QUEENSLAND MINING CAPTURED

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