On Tuesday, 20 August 2024 during Question Time I asked the Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals whether screenings for black lung disease would be extended to workers exposed to coal dust outside of mines.
You can read my question and the Minister's response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: My question is to the Minister for Resources and Critical Minerals. Workers who are exposed to coal dust outside of mines are increasingly dealing with the serious health effects of pneumoconiosis or black lung disease, but under the coalmine workers health scheme, they cannot access screenings with the Heart of Australia black lung bus. Will the minister expand the scheme so all coal workers, including port and railway workers, are eligible for these free lung health checks?
Mr STEWART: I thank the member for the question. This is very important. We know that there was a parliamentary inquiry which had support from both sides of the House—the full support of this House—and since then we have acted on the report that came out from that particular inquiry, and we continue to do that work. The Heart of Australia continue to run the bus, as the member for Maiwar is no doubt aware, right across this state. They have done some outstanding work. In fact, in the last 12 months they have travelled in excess of 80,000 kilometres to cover the length and breadth of this state doing those particular tests to determine whether previous workers have pneumoconiosis or are at risk of developing pneumoconiosis.
To put that into perspective, the circumference of the Earth is 40,000 kilometres, so they have travelled twice around the world to be able to get into remote communities, into places where previous workers have worked. That is paid for by the coal companies, collected by Resources Safety and Health Queensland for the workers of those coal companies. To cover those who work in places like the trains that carry the coal, to cover the workers who work at ports that might be exposed to that coal dust is actually covered under WorkCover. We have been working very closely with Minister Grace and her portfolio to ensure workers are covered. This is important work. is something that affects lives and takes lives, and that is why we will continue to work each and every day to ensure that bus, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, gets to travel to those remote communities like Collinsville, like Dysart, like out at Mount Isa, and they have come to Townsville several times as well to ensure those workers who have worked in those mines have the opportunity to get that screening done. If you can get that screening done and it comes up with a positive detection, you can get some early intervention.
We also realise from that work that workers in some of those other coalmine locations that are not covered under that financial agreement from those coal companies also need to be covered. It is important work. We are continuing to work with WorkCover. I encourage any former coal worker who has worked in a coalmine or has any concerns to make sure that when that bus comes to town, they get tested because early detection and early intervention can save lives.