Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Chief Executive, Ian Macfarlane, has announced he will retire from the role at the end of 2023 after seven years at the helm of the organisation.
Mr Macfarlane said the QRC was in very good shape, supported by a strong policy team and board, and its ongoing efforts to increase awareness about the critical importance of the resources sector to the Queensland economy continues to gain momentum.
Mr Macfarlane said the industry’s fight against the State Government’s decision last year to dramatically increase coal royalty taxes will continue, because Queensland jobs and future investment are at risk under the current royalty regime.
Queensland’s coal royalty taxes are now the highest in the world and five times the rate of New South Wales, which Mr Macfarlane said is impacting the industry’s ability to compete for investment in future resources projects.
Mr Macfarlane said it has been a privilege to lead Queensland’s resources sector during an incredibly challenging and dynamic time in the industry’s history.
“The resources sector is more important to Queensland than ever before,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“It is the basis of Queensland’s economic prosperity, ongoing jobs and our future success, and it’s worth standing up for.
“Over the past three years, our sector proved its importance to Queensland when resources companies quickly adapted to the challenges of COVID-19 and were able to continue to operate and support the state economy. This kept hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders in jobs and in business at a time other industries such as tourism were forced to shut down.”
Mr Macfarlane said the resources sector was undergoing a period of great transformation as companies moved to decarbonise their operations as fast as technology would allow.
“Our industry’s ability to continually innovate will see the mining and energy sector underpin jobs and the state economy well into the next century,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“Our determination to reduce our industry’s environmental impact will continue under new leadership at the QRC, along with an ongoing commitment to make our workplaces safer and more diverse and inclusive for all employees.”
QRC President, Brent Gunther, paid tribute to Mr Macfarlane and said the board and QRC members offer their sincere thanks to him for his strong advocacy on behalf of Queensland’s resources sector.
“For the past seven years, Mr Macfarlane has been a strong advocate for not only Queensland and Australia’s resource sector but also for mining communities, mining suppliers and the tens of thousands of Queenslanders who work in mining operations around the state,” Mr Gunther said.
“During Mr Macfarlane’s time as chief executive, the resource sector added more than $509 billion to Queensland’s economy, supported more than two million jobs and paid more than $31.5 billion in royalties.
“Mr Macfarlane has also successfully led the industry through the incredible challenges posed by the COVID pandemic and has overseen industry improvements in safety, training, inclusion, and diversity.
“When the resources sector is strong, Queensland is strong, and Mr Macfarlane has been a tireless advocate for the sector, always working to keep the industry strong for the benefit of all Queenslanders,” Mr Gunther said.
“Mr Macfarlane and the QRC team have ensured that mining’s role in supporting the Queensland economy is recognised and celebrated.
“We are extremely grateful for his contribution, and he goes with our best wishes for the future.”
Mr Gunther said the QRC board will commence an immediate global process to recruit a new chief executive, and thanked Mr Macfarlane for agreeing to continue in his role until a successor is found to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership of the QRC.
Industry Response
The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) congratulated Mr Macfarlane for his contribution to the mining industry.
MCA Chief Executive, Tania Constable, said Mr Macfarlane will leave an important legacy to the mining industry, having advocated strongly for the sector as the former federal resources minister and more recently as the chief executive of the QRC.
Ms Constable said Mr Macfarlane’s tenure as the federal resources minister included the establishment of the LNG industry in Australia, which helped to make Australia a key exporter of energy resources to the world.
Ms Constable said Mr Macfarlane hadn’t only been a strong advocate of mining in Queensland but across Australia, and thanked him for his support for the national industry.
Ms Constable said Mr Macfarlane will continue with his contribution to the community with his association of a number of organisations and wished him the best with those endeavours.
