What is a large resource project?
A large resource project is a project that requires an environmental impact statement or holds a site-specific environmental authority and has a workforce of 100 or more workers (or a smaller workforce decided by the Coordinator-General).
The Queensland Government publishes a list of declared large resource projects.
What is discrimination in large resource projects
The purpose of these provisions is to ensure local residents have access to fair job opportunities.
The owner or principal contractor of a large resource project must not:
- disadvantage a person in the recruitment process because they are a resident of a nearby regional community
- refuse to offer work during recruitment to a person because they are a resident of a nearby regional community
- discriminate against a worker by terminating their employment because they are, or become, a resident of a nearby regional community.
A person is a ‘resident of a nearby regional community’ if their principal place of residence is within one of the towns listed for the project. Generally, the towns are within 125 km of the main access to the project and have a population of more than 200 people.
For this type of discrimination, the definitions of direct and indirect discrimination do not apply.
What you can do
If you think you’ve experienced discrimination connected to a large resource project, you can make a complaint to the Queensland Human Rights Commission.