Worker shortage looms over Queensland's outback mining boom
About 85 critical minerals projects underway but skilled workers in short supply
Mining companies in Queensland's remote North West Minerals Province are adding jobs as drilling expands and former mines reopen, but a critical shortage of skilled workers threatens to stall the boom. Industry leaders warn they cannot fill positions across the region's many projects, with the national mining sector requiring an estimated 24,000 extra workers by 2027.