THE Queensland government has fast-tracked a funding package to create nearly 200 new jobs in areas affected by coal company cutbacks.
Premier, Anna Bligh pledged $100m in funding to support upgrades to roads, childcare services and health facilities in August 2008.
Premier Bligh has now moved $27m of the funding forward five months with hopes to “keep people in the region and bring additional staff to the area”. The initiative is also expected to create 188 jobs by the end of 2009 and stimulate growth in the region.
The move follows job cuts from a number of Queensland mines, including BHP Billiton who recently announced it will lay off 1100 workers from Bowen Basin operations.
“That is why we'll be accelerating projects, bringing forward road projects, schools, community facilities, housing, wherever we can," Bligh said.
"We need to keep our foot on the pedal and make sure we're creating jobs and job security wherever we can to soften the blow of what's happening in the economy,” she said.
The full impact of BHP’s job cuts are yet to be felt in regional Queensland, with the industry claiming that one job in mining affects at least four other jobs elsewhere.
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