PRESIDENT’S NOTE

Like all sectors of the national and global economies, the COVID-19 pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for the Australian resources and energy industry.

For an industry known for its perpetual movement of people, interstate travel restrictions, border closures and other workforce management issues have presented particularly unique challenges for resources and energy employers.

As they have done many times in Australia’s history, through economic downturns and international turmoil, employers in our great sector have again stepped up to the plate and demonstrated their resilience.

The latest snapshot from the Department of Industry shows despite COVID-19 affecting commodities in a wide variety of ways, the overall outlook for Australia’s resources and energy exports is still strong – estimated to reach a new record $293 billion in value in 2019-20.

It is, of course, not all good news.

While resources and energy employment has been less affected than other sectors, the 7% workforce reduction to date during this pandemic will be extremely challenging for affected employees and their families.

Exploration across all commodities has also declined significantly, and a combination of price falls in coal and oil/gas and global uncertainty has put a question mark on many new major projects that were considered almost certain to proceed only a short time ago.

Clearly there are significant challenges ahead as the true global impacts of this pandemic play out.

Therefore, while our resources and energy industry is once again buffering the Australian economy against significant external headwinds, a great deal of focus from both industry participants and our national policymakers must be on maintaining our productivity and competitiveness.

In such an environment, the role of organisations like the Australian Resources and Energy Group, AMMA, shines most brightly.

Whether it be the Group’s fast-paced action on COVID-19 issues, workforce services, industry campaigns, government influence or simply its vast community of interest; resources and energy employers have been better served and better supported throughout a challenging 2020, by their membership of AMMA.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for your organisation’s ongoing membership support of AMMA, the nation’s resources and energy group since 1918.

As a not-for-profit group with an extremely engaged membership, it is your support which provides the necessary break-even funding that enables AMMA to continue its longstanding mission – to ensure our industry is an attractive place to invest, employ and do business, and to contribute to a brighter future for all Australians.

Tom Quinn

AMMA PRESIDENT