Migrant Workers and Mining

While trying to read the VCEC report on Feed-inTariffs and Barriers to Distributed Generation (all >200 pages) my son and I have been diverted by the current media reports on the effects of the Mining Boom on a Queensland town of Moranbah ("Casualties of the Boom" 4Corners, ABC TV) and todays discussion of migrant workers.
As a "migrant" worker, married to another "migrant" worker, its amazing to re-visit the arguments yet again. The scale of the mining boom, much as I personally deplore it, will totally dwarf the employment opportunities of local areas. So migrant workers are absolutely necessary. Remember the Snowy River Scheme. Those migrant workers contributed enormously to the nation.
Migrant or Australian workers are also not easily able to move states, unless people are willing to take the risk, move to WA or Queensland first, & then know the process of applying for jobs. This takes a special sort of person, not necessarily those who are currently looking for jobs in the Eastern States. It also takes resources ($$) and persistence.
As a librarian, I see many people looking and not succeeding in their job searches. This is for many reasons and lack of knowledge, skills and sometimes personality/psychology! To my children, a job is sitting in front of computers. I acknowledge Senator Cameron's concerns for safety, appropriate wages and conditions for the workers, but assume that much of this infrastructure is already in place and working (or why not??).
The ABC program last night left me with a number of questions.

• Why were more houses/accomodation not built in Moranbah to ease the housing shortage?
• Who controls the land around the town and enables the release of land?
• Who is responsible for the services needed to support the FIFO workers?
• Is it the Council or is it the Employer?
• Who fills in the holes left by the Miners??

Questions and Answers : More than what 1 radio show and 1 TV program can provide.