For the first time in 12 years, the Australian region of Queensland has a new government. In a win that was predicted to be a landslide but was actually far narrower, the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP), led by David Crisafulli, defeated the incumbent Labor government, led by Premier Steven Miles, in October, after three terms in government.
The power shift has seen born and bred regional Queenslander, Dale Last, a Member for Burdekin, a major resources region, take on the role of Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Rural and Regional Development in the state.
Last brings to the job a solid Queensland-based CV. His career started as a police officer – he apparently applied as a dare – where he worked with indigenous communities and smaller rural centres, eventually leading to the role of Officer in Charge at Townsville Police Station.
He was also a Councillor and Deputy Mayor for Townsville City Council and Area Director of Emergency Management in Queensland where he worked to ensure communities were prepared for natural disasters and could recover efficiently, until, in 2015 he was elected as a Member for Burdekin, where he lives with his family.
Now, Last finds himself with a key government appointment, about which he says he is “humbled and excited”. Mining is a major contributor to Queensland’s coiffeurs and the largest industry in the state, accounting for nearly 13% of the economy in 2023-2024. It directly employs more than 60,000 people, representing 60% of total mining jobs in Australia, and in 2023-2024 delivered A$12.8bn ($8bn)in royalties.
Or as Last puts it, resources is the portfolio “that fills the bucket”.
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By GlobalData“This is where the money comes from and that’s why I’m going to secure a strong future with jobs for the next generation. Communities are built around mining and in the Crisafulli Government, we understand that,” he says.
Expediting mine planning approvals in Queensland
As he settles into the role, he says he has been focused on delivering his election promise to restore confidence in the local minerals sector.
Before breaking for Christmas, he officially opened a new underground coal mine expansion at the Coronado’s Curragh Complex in Central Queensland. The milestone follows Coronado receiving all necessary regulatory approvals for Mammoth the week prior after working with the new government. The expansion is expected to generate an additional 259 full-time jobs.
Last says that this is a significant new investment that shows confidence in Queensland’s coal sector.
“Under our government, Queensland is open for business. As far as we’re concerned, coal and gas will play crucial roles in the state’s energy system for years to come,” Last says.
Before the election, the LNP had pledged a commitment to ensure reliable electricity supply to Queensland through the energy transition.
Further to this agenda, the government, which was strongly supported by regional Queensland, promised to establish a Resources Cabinet Committee which met for the first time on 17 December – a move welcomed by the Queensland Resources Council.
“This was part of our 100-Day Plan, we’ve pulled together the key players in our ministerial team that have a direct impact on resources,” says Last.
“The Committee ensures a coordinated approach and open lines of communication going forward and will help to streamline approvals processes, giving resources companies certainty around their investment decisions,” he explains.
Sitting on the committee will be Last; Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations, Jarrod Bleijie; Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership David Janetzki; and Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell.
Last accuses the previous government of creating a culture of delays and of taking the resources sector for granted. Whereas now businesses can expect a “fresh approach to working with government”. But what might that look like in reality?
He claims when he started his new role, there was a pile of applications for resource-related industries that had been sitting on the previous Minister’s desk waiting for approval, some dating back to 2019.
“I have been working through the documents and I have made a sizeable dent in that pile,” Last says.
“I won’t be letting projects languish for years without a decision. Industry, investors, and communities will get a clear yes or no, so there will be certainty one way or another.”
And if you don’t believe him, he made an Instagram video to demonstrate.
Mining safety in Queensland
Establishing a Mining Warden’s Court was another key election commitment. The process is underway, Last says, with the next step of starting the appointment process being done in conjunction with the Attorney General. But how will the Mining Warden’s Court work exactly?
“The Mining Warden will act as a Magistrate and a Coroner. It will investigate fatalities in the mining industry and importantly make recommendations with the full force of a Coroner’s Court behind it,” he says.
Last adds that he will continue to work with independent regulator Resources Safety and Health Queensland to enhance the ways they educate and implement safety controls at sites.
Uncertainty at Mount Isa Mines
Beyond approvals and mine safety, there are other challenges at his desk. Swiss multinational Glencore, the operator of Mount Isa Mines, announced in October 2023 that copper mining operations would end in 2025. The company could keep the smelter open until 2030, pending ongoing government support. But this is far from certain with other copper projects that could feed the smelter several years from production.
Mount Isa City Council chief executive Tim Rose has said there are 2,500 to 3,000 jobs across the whole region that are connected to the smelter.
Last says he recently met with Glencore’s global CEO Gary Nagle and had a “very productive” conversation about the future of the company’s mining operations in Mount Isa.
Last said Nagle was “positive” about the company’s Black Star open-cut mine extension project in Mount Isa and the potential for continued employment opportunities.
The project is currently in the pre-feasibility stage and will move forward with planned works including definition drilling, metallurgical testing, engineering, and a mine plan design. Although it is still subject to a final investment decision, Glencore anticipates the project could be operational as of 2027.
“Glencore is continuing to operate its other metals assets in Mount Isa, including the copper smelter, George Fisher zinc mine, zinc-lead concentrator, and lead smelter in Mount Isa, as well as the copper refinery in Townsville,” Last adds.
Queensland is “open for business”
When asked what the government’s plans are for tax – which became a hot topic after the previous government passed the Progressive Coal Royalties Protection (Keep Them in the Bank) Bill 2024 (the Bill) in September, which effectively makes it more difficult to cut royalties and was opposed by LNP – Last says the government is committed to maintaining the existing mining royalty regime.
Going forward, what’s Last’s message to Queensland’s mining sector?
He says: “Under the Crisafulli government, Queensland’s resources sector is open for business and we have an ambitious long-term agenda which will see new and expanded mining opportunities across the state.
“We will never take for granted the abundance of our resources and the value the sector delivers to the Queensland economy, nor will we take for granted the more than 60,000 people who are directly employed in the industry.
“We’re creating an environment for growth and improving turn-around times for approvals while maintaining strong planning and strict environmental conditions.”
