The Queensland Resources Council has welcomed the announcement by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) to invest $100 million into autonomous haulage trucks at its Daunia coal mine in the Bowen Basin.
QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the Queensland coal industry was an early adopter of technology and a world leader in creating the long term jobs of the future through automation.
"What we are seeing from the resources sector, such as BMA today, is companies building high-tech capacity into their operations to improve safety and efficiency," Mr Macfarlane said.
"Technology is a multiplier of jobs and through this investment up to 10 regional businesses including Indigenous businesses would share in $35 million worth of contracts, creating 150 project jobs on top of the 56 new permanent jobs on site.
"In addition Hastings Deering would see an additional 30 regional jobs to work on fitting and converting the trucks.
"Queensland's resources industry will continue to invest in technology to ensure it maintains leading practices in safety and innovation which will secure the sector's competitiveness over other mining jurisdictions around the world."
BMA said the rollout of the Caterpillar trucks would be completed by the end of 2021.
