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Kalgoorlie mining worker would put the industry front and centre

Headshot of Tegan Guthrie
Tegan GuthrieKalgoorlie Miner
Kalgoorlie-Boulder council candidate Curtis Jones.
Camera IconKalgoorlie-Boulder council candidate Curtis Jones. Credit: Kalgoorlie Miner / Tori O'Connor

After years of grumbling about the local council, Curtis Jones is sticking his hand up for a seat to try and balance things out.

The 47-year-old proud mining industry worker said the council and wider community needed to help better facilitate and advocate for the industry and people who work in it.

“My belief and opinion is that the council and city itself has lost focus of what is important, and that is the mining industry, the jobs it provides, the knock-on effect for the community, the support industry and all the guys and girls out in West Kal,” he said.

“Instead we are focused on better skate parks and resorts, the sorts of things that I do not think generate significant amounts of employment or income back into the region. At least nothing compared to mining.”

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Mr Jones said he had watched and “grumbled to himself and friends who would listen” about council decisions for years, and thought he would make a difference if elected.

“We haven’t had anybody on council for some years now who strongly advocated for the industry, and this is the gold mining capital of Australia so I don’t understand that,” he said.

“I think we can do better than just basically complaining about FIFO, which is not solving anything.

“But if I get elected to council, I won’t be the guy sitting in the back of the room pooh-poohing on everybody’s parade and being a negative influence, because I think we have enough of that and don’t need a council pulled in different directions.”

Whilst admitting there was a lot more to Kalgoorlie-Boulder than mining, such as tourism opportunities, Mr Jones said we could not turn our backs on the industry which keeps the town afloat.

“Even if you don’t work in the mining industry here, you work in retail or some other function within the city, your livelihood depends on the mining industry just as much as the guys and girls working in it,” he said.

Mr Jones said a vote for him was a vote for jobs, forward-thinking and the future, instead of backwards thinking and the “pining for the past”.

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