four corners has a special on moranbah tonight

[McGirr]

They are talking about the mining towns .

Mark

[Nomad]

Still the best current affairs show on the box.....................Interesting and disturbing story.

[McGirr]

Yes very eye opening. I checked out the properties on the web for sale. Holy %^%# the average price for a house is $700k for a basic home. The rentals are $2000 a week.

No wonder they need to pay the big dollars.

Mark

[BigJules]

The high level of rent is reflective of the lack of investment by the companies in developing communities. More housing and better family conditions would assist the companies in attracting more Australian labour.

[Nomad]

It must be mind boggling for the Councilors and their town planners to try and plan for infrastructure requirements......and then having cooperation blade hanging over their head from the mining companies about paying for the services.............

It does appear that FIFO is here to stay however..............once a policy such as FIFO is implemented it must be very difficult and expensive to turn away from........

[Symon]

The high level of rent is reflective of the lack of investment by the companies in developing communities. More housing and better family conditions would assist the companies in attracting more Australian labour.

Exactly, but then again they did it because the state government let them, in fact they encouraged it.  Short sighted policies by a state government who really only cared about pork barrelling the SE corner of QLD.

My hopes aren't high for the new one either.

[gacoxd]

I spent a bit of time in Moranbah over the years. in fact I spent he first 18 months of my life in the caravan park at Peak Downs while my dad worked on the ROM in 1971.

Growing up in Mackay you dreaded the annual footy trip to Moranbah because you knew you were going to get smashed.

I even worked for my Dad during he Uni breaks on a couple of teachers and coppers houses in Clement street.

I've spent my entire adult life working for mining companies and the last time I was there in 2004 my mate had just been convinced to by his house off the company for $10000.

8 years later he has moved on to a job in the head office. He still owns the house and pockets something close to the numbers in the program. Some of the others have retired a headed off around Oz or the world on the basis of such a huge and reliable revenue stream.

But the town itself? Yeah it's struggling under the weight of such a huge and transient population and it is a shame. It was and probably still would be an awesome place to bring up a family if that's what every one else was doing as well.

[fuji]

I drove through last year, refuelled and got the hell out. I feel sorry for all the families who have to pay top dollar for rental. The rich and greedy get richer and greedier. Its the same up in Derby.

[dooguss]

I couldn't believe the amount of money people had to come up with for bond on a house out there let alone the weekly rent no wonder the towns in trouble

[McGirr]

I heard that the mines are telling the rental agencies that they are holding off renting properties to try and drive the rents down. They have the power.

Mark