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Subscriber only This year will probably go down in the history books as one of the most eventful in modern history. For some, it was a year they would like to forget. But for others, it was an opportunity to start afresh. No matter how much you were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that 2020 was quite the rollercoaster ride for the human race. From the fallout of coronavirus to disasters we never saw coming and the moments that made us proud to call the region home, here are the 10 events that shaped Mackay in 2020 in no particular order:
Almost half the drivers who died on Mackay roads in five years were under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. That is the stark reality revealed in the University of the Sunshine Coast s Road Safety Research Collaboration study into fatal crashes in Queensland from 2011 to 2015. Professor Jeremy Davey said data suggested drink-driving and drug-driving fatalities were higher for rural and regional areas like Mackay. Last week on Mackay region roads, police stopped 17 alleged drug-drivers and 14 alleged drink-drivers, Acting Senior Sergeant Daniel Goldburg of Mackay Road Policing Unit said. The figure is almost double the average of 9-10 drug-drivers charged per week in the Mackay district last year.
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Subscriber only Multiple reports of dangerous gas exceedances deep underground were not passed up to senior mining executives, the Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry has found. The board s first part of the inquiry report, which was released on Thursday, focused on the initial tranche of public hearings held in August. The inquiry detailed the cause, reaction, internal reporting and risk mitigation of 13 high risk methane exceedances across three mines, Oaky North, Moranbah North, and Grasstree. The combined controls of ventilation and gas drainage did not deliver the desired outcome in terms of keeping methane concentration below prescribed levels, the inquiry said.
Coal mining safety inquiry finds inspectors hard to retain due to inadequate pay
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Moranbah s coal miner statue pays tribute to workers who have died on the job.
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A number of dangers within Queensland s coal mining industry have surfaced as part of an investigation into the sector s safety standards.
Key points:
The Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry has handed down its first set of findings
The mining union says it is crucial the industry adopts the findings to prevent gas-related tragedies
Mining company Anglo American says automation will be a major safety solution
Part one of the inquiry s report has been released, after a set of hearings on gas incidents at other mines including Oaky North, Moranbah North and Grasstree.
QRC welcomes initial Coal Mining Board of Inquiry report miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.