Union not to blame for closure
BAD management and massive financial losses were also behind Norwich Park mine's upcoming closure - not just strike action, according to one mine worker.
The employee, who chose to remain anonymous, said workers had been told by a fleet of BHP officials on Wednesday night that the shut down of the Dysart mine was only partially due to industrial action.
The miner said it had been explained to them that the closure was caused by a mixture of bad management practices, lack of planning, higher costs, bad weather, restrictive practices, financial loss and strike action.
But BHP said unions had been warned strikes would put Norwich Park under "very special pressure".
He said mine workers saw that as a rationalisation to remove the workforce as the mine had been going backwards for four years.
Union bosses said communication was not the best between mining companies and workers.
Isaac Regional Council mayoral candidate Bob Oakes said he feared for the Dysart community.
He was in Glenden when the town went through a similar situation several years ago.
"Everything folded," Mr Oakes said.
"We went from being a community that could have organised junior sports competitions with kids competing within their age groups, to a community that couldn't pull together a junior cricket team.
"The Lions Club, Pony Club and sporting clubs all shut down."
Isaac Mayor Cedric Marshall said it would be a difficult time for the community.
"More than 400 of the mine's employees live in Dysart," Cr Marshall said.
"Workers and their families will be displaced, small to medium businesses that have relied on the mine will suffer and primary and secondary schools will also be impacted if children and teachers are forced to leave.
"We need to know how this will affect employees in relation to housing and future employment and what council can do to support them," he said.
