Following from today’s SC Daily article for blog.
FLY-IN, fly-out services to and from the Sunshine Coast Airport are set to escalate this year, with confirmation other major mining companies will look to the Coast for workers.
Sunshine Coast councillor Lew Brennan told the Daily that several unnamed mining companies and airlines were in discussion with council to increase services and offer more employment to residents.
The news follows mining giant Rio Tinto’s move to increase its fly-in, fly-out services to four times a week through locally based aviation company Skytrans.
“We are talking to several mining companies and other airlines at the moment, but we are not in a position to say who or when it will happen,” Cr Brennan said.
“I can say that it is looking very promising and we are very keen to progress with them soon.”
The additional services go with the council’s Resource Sector Action Plan, which aims to support growth and economic development in the mining sector and the local community.
The plan outlines an expected growth of more than $142 billion in the Coast’s economy and an additional 40,000 construction and operation jobs created in the eight years to 2020.
This growth will depend on partnerships across the public sector, including accommodation options, transport, connectivity, a skilled workforce and business locations that attract resource industry-related organisations.
“It’s an overarching perspective of how to engage the Sunshine Coast with the recourse industry and to take advantage of the mining boom despite no mines being situated here,” Cr Brennan said.
“We will look at every way possible to engage opportunities with local people and also attract people from elsewhere in Australia who are employed by the highly lucrative mining companies to live and put back into our local economy.”
Sunshine Coast airport general manager Peter Pallot would not comment on the additional services, but confirmed that discussions were under way.
The council expect to finalise the resource sector action plan shortly.