Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of excavator operator David Routledge who lost his life at the Middlemount Coal Mine on Tuesday.
As a coal-producing region whose communities and history is closely tied to the workforces of our local mines, this tragedy reaches deep into the hearts of all our residents.
Whether you're a relative, friend or neighbour, there would be very few in Middlemount who do not have a connection to the mining sector.
On behalf of Council and the community, I extend our deepest condolences to David's family.
Whilst the circumstances of this tragedy will be subject to investigation by the mine operator and authorities, right now our focus is on supporting the close-knit Middlemount community in its grief.
We share in the pain of their loss as it is one that all of our communities have known.
Tragically, this is the third loss of life in an Isaac region mine in the past six months following earlier incidents at Saraji Mine and Moranbah North Mine.
It is a reminder of the inherent dangers our local workers face every day working in the resources sector.
Cr Anne Baker
Isaac Region Mayor
27 June 2019
