Has any Queensland educated, trained Mine Manager who got their 1st Class Ticket in Qld ever been Manager at a Mine with fatal/life threatening methane explosions or losing a Mine due to Spontaneous Combustion? NO.

Unless someone can point out to me where that is the case, I cannot find one mine in over 120 years that had a Manager who had done their education, training and experience and gained their 1st Class Ticket in Queensland.

Grosvenor and North Goonyella follow exactly the same unbroken run

I point out that there has traditionally been two sources of Managers, Mines Inspectors  and Chief Inspectors of Coal Mines, that being England, and New South Wales.

Over recent decades we have also seen some of other European Nations and South Africa.

I will just make the following general observations.

Great Britain and Europe.

Longwall Advance

1 to 2 Million Tonnes per year.

Closed in Great Britain and most European Countries

South Africa

Board and Pillar

Steaming Coal,

Shallow deposits

New South Wales

High Ventilation pressures routinely used in Wollongong Area cannot be employed in Queensland Mines.

They run high ventilation pressures because of the fact they Mine under the Illawarra Ranges or the Escarpment.

Would cause spontaneous combustion in almost any Queensland Mine such as in South Blackwater’s Laleham Mine Pillar fire in the 1990’s.

Roof strata in NSW in general is far more competent than Queensland and in particular the Goonyella Middle Seam.

From talking to a number of Mine Managers from New South Wales when Inspecting Mines as an Industry Safety and Health Representative my general feeling from dealing with them during Spontaneous Combustion Events and Longwall Roof Failures are

I must be talking in Swahili and Braille and the same time.

They just fundamentally do not understand the Mining Conditions they face and what is appropriate.

In a lot of ways it is not really their fault.

They have been appointed to a position they do not have the background, experience or competence to deal with.

They have never so much as cut one tonne of coal, put one roof bolt or ventilated a heading up in Queensland.

90% of the time they just get straight appointed as Manager, under mutual Recognition no questions asked.

Same process as for Mines Inspectors employed from outside of Queensland who have first class tickets in other states or countries.

Just go through a bit of a list.

Torbanlea, Mt Mulligan, Collinsville State Mine, Kianga, Box Flat, Sirius Creek, Moura No 4, Moura No 2, North Goonyella, Grosvenor