Watchdog’s new blood

TWO women have been appointed to a mining advisory committee that hasn’t met since March because it didn’t meet its gender quota.

The Townsville Bulletin can reveal Bobbie Foot and Kylie Ah Wong have been appointed to the Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee and will receive their appointment letters later this week.

Both women were nominated by the Queensland Resources Council more than six months ago.

Ms Foot is a new appointee and Ms Ah Wong is a new substitute member.

It follows revelations on Monday, in the wake of a spate of deaths at mines across Queensland, that the group hadn’t met for four months.

Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said “certain representation” had to be made to the committee and that “gender representation” needed to be respected.

The committee this week.

Meanwhile Queensland mines could be shut down for up to four days to allow shift workers the chance to take part in a “reset” following a spate of mining deaths.

CFMEU’S Stephen Smyth said the union didn’t want any worker to miss out on the proposed stopwork, meaning it could last days to accommodate varying rosters.

Mr Smyth proposed a 24hour shutdown at the weekend will meet following two serious incidents including the death of Jack Gerdes, 27, at the Baralaba North Coal Mine.

Both Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham left the door open to a 24-hour stopwork yesterday which will be discussed at today’s safety forum in Brisbane.

Mr Smyth insisted the action should be held sooner rather than later.

Six people have been killed

mines and quarries in at Queensland during the past 12 months, prompting Mr Lynham to call a meeting with the Queensland Resources Council, AWU and CFMEU on Monday night.

It was decided a safety forum would be held in Brisbane today where senior mining executives, representatives, unions and peak bodies will decide on short-term and longterm actions to improve onsite safety.

Two reviews will also be undertaken including expanding the current review into coal mining deaths to include mineral mines and quarries.

Mr Smyth said all politicians should support a shutdown.

“To me, it (reset) should have happened straightaway,” he said.

“We can’t be delaying it any further.

“I think it should roll out in the next couple of weeks.”

Mr Lynham said the current rate of fatalities was unacceptable.