Queensland Treasury released its non-resident population projections for the Surat Basin today. They show that fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) worker numbers will peak this year at around 8,600 and decline over the next few years as the construction phase of the coal seam gas boom winds down (see chart I’ve copied from the publication below).

As discussed in a recent post (Barcaldine set to boom with a big increase in FIFO workers), I think Series C is the best projection because it includes projects for which an Environmental Impact Statement has been lodged – i.e. projects that probably have a fairly high likelihood of proceeding.

To a signficant extent, the large projected increase in FIFO/DIDO numbers in the Galilee Basin will provide opportunities for former Surat Basin FIFO/DIDO workers (see the Treasury projections), but I expect many of these workers will also look at opportunities in WA and some may even look overseas.