Mines leave big hole in community
IF COOLUM folk think Clive Palmer is making it tough for their economy because of staff lay-offs at the Palmer Resort, they shouldn't feel lonesome because in my view Big Clive's very large bankroll, the mining industry, has a lot more to be responsible for than what is going on at Coolum.
I have been around a few local games of footy over the last month or so and there is one thing that is very clear, on a fortnightly basis there is a lack of participants.
For instance, a team will be competitive one week and then get beaten by 60 the following week because half the team is working in the mines or a related industry.
Now I know to a lot of people a local game of footy, or in fact sport, is not too important but what it says to me is that our local social fabric has been eaten away by a lack of work locally and also the call of the big dollars in the mines.
This is not a criticism of those working away but more-so a real concern for what lies ahead.
If the trend continues, I can see many small sporting clubs dying a painful death but also even more alarming is the hang over of effects socially and to families.
If I were young enough and smart enough I would go to university and do a psychology degree or anything to do with counselling. A growth industry in the future will be marriage counselling as one parent is away trying to earn a living while the other is left to shoulder everything else.
Money is a necessary evil and on one hand those working away are doing it for their families but on the other hand, in some cases, they are putting the family unit in jeopardy.
In my view it is a very sad state of affairs.
What happens when we run out of what we are digging and sucking out of the ground?
Not only will we be left with a nation that could be heading for Third World status but we will also be left with broken families and the infrastructure in our local community that has been there for 100 years, but was wiped out by the bright shiny lights of the mining industry.
The same can be said for the towns that are booming because of the mining industry.
What happens when the stuff under those bright shiny lights runs out?
It's a bit like gold fever and we all know what happens after the gold rush.
I haven't the answer, but I do know we shouldn't be hitching our wagon to one horse because eventually it will die.
Instead of that stupid woman's carbon tax, the mining industry should be encouraged to get involved in all regional communities to limit the damage they are doing.
