Welcome to the Bowen Basin Information Website
About this site
The purpose of this website is to facilitate and assist social and economic
research on current issues and future developments in the coal mining communities
of the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, Australia. It aims to provide up-to-date,
relevant information and foster research collaboration. This research will
also contribute to a better understanding of life in other mining communities
within Australia and internationally.
This website is the research exchange of the Bowen Basin Researchers’
Network, a group of institutions and individuals with a shared interest in
the communities of the Bowen Basin that was formed at a workshop held in Emerald
in May 2003. Click here for a list of network
members and a copy of the workshop report.
The Bowen Basin
The Bowen Basin is an area of coal reserves and mining related communities
that extends over approximately 60,000 square kilometres of Central Queensland
from the town of Collinsville in the north to Theodore in the south.
Click here for a map of the Bowen Basin
and its communities. This is the largest coal reserve in Australia and the
34 operational coal mines extract over 100 million tonnes annually. This represents
some 83 per cent of the State of Queensland’s coal production - its
most important export commodity.
The Communities
Within the Bowen Basin there are 15 communities, with a combined total population of 41,973 in 2001, that are dependent or impacted by coal mining to varying degrees. Over the last five years, these communities have experienced major social and demographic changes as a result of industry restructures, work practice changes and technological advances.
Get involved
Contributions to this site are welcomed. Please contact the Webmaster.Funding for development and establishment for this website was provided by the Queensland Government.
Website design by the Division of Teaching and Learning Services, Central Queensland
University.
Technical support by the Information Technology Division, Central Queensland
University.