The Queensland Resources Council has welcomed the announcement of a 18 May Federal election by releasing the mining and petroleum industries' $60 billion annual economic contribution across the State's 30 Federal electorates.
QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources sector employed Queenslanders and supported local businesses in every electorate from Leichhardt in the north to McPherson in the south, Maranoa and Kennedy in the west.
Mr Macfarlane said winning Queensland electorates would be critical to who wins the election, and the most marginal seats - Capricornia, Herbert, Flynn and Dawson – were among the biggest beneficiaries of the resources sector.
"Every vote counts in every Federal electorate and resources contribute to each electorate and that contribution can be counted in jobs created, local businesses supported and economic growth for all Queenslanders," he said.
Mr Macfarlane said the electorate of Brisbane, in the heart of south-east Queensland, was the biggest beneficiary with 64,807 full-time equivalent (FTEs) jobs and an economic contribution of $13.8 billion.
"I am one of 316,000 Queenslanders who are employed thanks to the resources industry. We work and we vote," he said.
"On behalf of those Queenslanders, the QRC urges every candidate to commit to working with resources for the benefit of all Queenslanders and particularly the electorates, communities, businesses and families they aspire to represent."
"By the time polling booths close at 6pm on 18 May in 36 days' time, the resources sector will have created 934 jobs, exported more than $6 billion in commodities and generated more than $500 million in royalty taxes for the Palaszczuk Government in Queensland."
