Construction workforce and large resource project list decisions for a resource project

The Coordinator-General decides what obligations apply to resources projects under the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017 (SSRC Act).

The Coordinator-General decides whether the construction workforce for a project is subject to the provisions of the SSRC Act. This decision is made as part of the evaluation report and informed by the social impact assessment (SIA).

The Coordinator-General evaluation report will also list the nearby regional communities for the project. The name of the project, nearby regional communities and the construction workforce decision are listed under the list of large resource projects.

Before you begin

Prior to the Coordinator-General making a construction workforce decision, you must submit the draft environmental impact statement (EIS), including a social impact statement, to the Coordinator-General detailing:

• the proposed project description (i.e. scale and duration of the construction stage of the project)
• potentially impacted communities (positive and negative), including the availability of residents with relevant skills, accommodation and local social services
• proposed workforce recruitment strategy.

Coordinator-General's decision-making process

The Coordinator-General may nominate a project as a large resource project for which a person employed during the construction phase of the project is a worker for the purposes of the SSRC Act (construction workforce decision).

Preparation of an SIA is required for large resource projects when undertaking an EIS. As part of evaluating the SIA for a project, the Coordinator-General must decide under section 12 of the SSRC Act on the application of the Act to the construction workforce of a large resource project. For the SSRC Act to apply to a project, it must have at least 1 nearby regional community.

The Coordinator-General's decision can be included either:

• as part of the EIS assessment report prepared by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation
• or
• the Coordinator-General's decision to release the Coordinator-General Evaluation Report as part of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 EIS processes.

Nearby regional community decision

A large resource project that has a nearby regional community has obligations under the SSRC Act, including the 100% fly-in, fly-out worker prohibition. The obligations apply to ensure benefit to nearby communities during the operational phase of the project.

A nearby regional community is a typically a town with a population of more than 200 people which is within a 125km radius of the project's main entry.

The Coordinator-General may decide at their discretion that a town is a nearby regional community, even if it is greater than 125km away or has a population of less than 200 people. The Coordinator-General may nominate a town to be a nearby regional community regardless of whether the project already has nearby regional communities.

Construction workforce decision

The Coordinator-General can nominate a project as a large resource project for which a person employed during the construction phase of the project is a worker for the purposes of the SSRC Act, imposing the same obligations as for the operational phase. As part of evaluating the SIA for a project, the Coordinator-General must decide under section 12 of the SSRC Act on the application of the Act to the construction workforce of a large resource project.

More information

The process for social impact assessments for resource projects are to be undertaken in accordance with the SIA guideline (PDF, 871KB).

View the Coordinator-General's previous construction workforce decisions.

Refer to the list of large resource projects with nearby regional communities maintained by the Coordinator-General. View the map of large resource projects which are subject to the SSRC Act.

The SSRC Act contains definitions of large resources project and nearby regional communities, and the obligations placed on large resource project proponents.

Next steps

The next step in the process is receiving a decision for an EIS.

Contact us

Office of the Coordinator-General

Email: cpdinfo@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
Phone: 1800 001 048