Moranbah, QLD 4744

- the woman/wives are worse then any men here
- when it comes to shops you have coles, 2 pharmacies, 2 doctors surgeries that don’t bulk bill, a target country that is closing down, a dress shop in town square that doesn’t exactly have the best fashion, a hospital that will always ask why you didn’t go to your gp prior to presenting unless you have a severed limb, a couple of places to eat and quiet a few parks that you can use half of the year as it’s way to hot during the summer time.
- unless you are in mining it’s not worth it as living expenses are ridiculous
- if you suffer with any sort of mental health issues this town has no psychologist or councillors so expect a 2.5 hour drive to Mackay or talk to someone over Telehealth and still be out of pocket.
- very clicky town that talks about everyone regardless if they know you or not.
- A lot of older ladies who this they are the Oprah’s of Moranbah and talk to everyone like they are meaningless.
- to get a decent job you need to know someone to get in, unless you are over qualified for the position.
- raising a family with nothing to do does take its toll, the town is a bit of a ghost during school holidays as everyone wants to get away.
- personally have felt more depressed and feel like I can not trust most people as you tend to let someone in and then everyone knows your business.
- Most locals are quiet judgemental and seeking any help from the community centre in town is like pulling teeth. They are a Centrelink agent however like to direct you to mackay is they either don’t like you or heard things about you (experience from quiet a few people I have meet). There’s nothing worse then having individuals unqualified for their jobs working in a position that needs qualifications however they are unable to gain qualified staff that are willing to live here with the wages that are offered, so tend to settle with what they can get.

Not a place to be with children & lack of infrastructure contributes to drug , drinking culture.

Moranbah is for the mining industry, no qualms about it. For a regional mining town, it actually isn't that bad compared to surrounding towns. There are some old houses but plenty of new developments being built. The retail is a bit hit and miss. Coles occasionally runs out of food, as does Red Rooster and KFC. There is only Coles for food shopping, no IGA/Woolworths/Aldi but that is set to change in the future with the development of Ted Rolfe oval. Domino's is mostly miss than hit unfortunately but Subway is pretty good. There are 3 hairdressers, 2 jewelers, several banks, Target Country, Rockmans, EB Games, several gift stores, 2 news agencies, Mr Toys, Video Ezy, Brumbies, a sports store, fruit and veg store, Post Office, butcher, Prices Plus, rural supplies store incl pet store, Mitre 10, medical centre, physio, optometrist, fish and chip shop, Retravision, 2 Chinese restaurants, 2 pubs, an adult store, sign-making store, burger/pie store, vet clinic, mechanic, laundry mat, training centre, dry cleaners, library, nearly built aquatic centre with swimming pool, Telstra store, motel restaurant and 5 servos.

The theatre at the community centre has impressed me several times. There are plenty of families with kids riding bikes, people jogging and walking and socialising outdoors.

High rental prices and bad behaviour at the pubs by FIFO workers is starting to degrade the feel of the town. I moved here 12 months ago and even I can tell it's getting worse. Once the new retail developments are built, it will give families and people like my partner and I somewhere nice to go spend time after work than resorting to the pub for a bit of nightlife. They tell me people are bored in this town and I know at times I am but as soon as more people move here once the new developments are built, the nightlife that familiesand professionals will like will be able to be sustained.

What the town needs:
Another supermarket for variety, competition and availability
Telecommunication tower and retail store for Optus
An alternative to pub nightlife eg reopen Cinemas
A car yard (Toyota or Holden judging by everyone's cars)
More childcare facilities
TAFE
McDonalds
Proper Airport
Nice restaurant like The Swag in Middlemount
Ribs/Pizza/Pasta/Salad restaurant would be awesome (Nandos would be the ultimate..)

Lastly, surprisingly there is a growing LGBTI community in Moranbah. For a town in regional QLD I am happily surprised to see some diversity out here. Maybe not enough for a parade but still good on you Moranbah!

One thing to mention about Moranbah. If you plan to come here and work with babies or toddlers, ring around the childcare centres first. At the moment there is no childcare available at all. I planned to come here with my fiance and work but now have to stay home with my toddler as there are no spaces at the 2 nurseries and the childminders are also fully booked. The waiting lists are around 20 children long. It seems totally ridiculous that the authorities cannot provide sufficient childcare for this town!

My family and I have lived in Moranbah for the last four years and could`t imagine a better place to live and raise children, its safe, friendly and relaxed. Moranbah is a thriving regional metropolis positioned 2 hours drive from the amazing Whitsundays. There is a great sense of community, you seldom go to the shops without recognizing or chatting with someone you know. As in most regional towns there is a great deal of sport played and it seems as though everyone is involved in one sport or another, if the parents are`nt then their children are!. The majority of the towns people are employed by large multinational mining companies. These companies have work place agreements to pay for the vast majority of the workers rent or supply enormous cash incentives for those employees who prefer to own their own homes.
The Mining companies invest a great deal of money in providing infrastructure and facilities for the community. We have state of the art sporting and educational facilities, modern hospital, major shops like Coles and Target as well as the usual fast food outlets,one of the best golf coarse greens west of the Whitsundays( six pack of beer, golf car and green fees for 40 odd dollars!),new aquatic center under construction, 8 restaurants, airport with several flights daily from Brisbane on Quantas. We also have an enormous amount of events throughout the year with something happening almost every weekend.
The area around Moranbah has massive coking coal (used to make steel, not electricity)deposits of a quality and volume not commonly seen around the world and due to this fact many new mines are due to open over the next 5 years and provide massive economic benefit to our community.
With an unemployment rate of around 1% and likely to fall lower, I believe our region has a very very bright future ahead of it.

I think moranbah is ridiculous!! For a run down old house you will still pay $1000 a week! For the same thing 200kms away its about $300! Only mining bosses can afford that but they get supplied houses for $60 a week!! Its pretty much like stealing!! They are not thinking about the people who dont work in the mines!! There is no nice restraunts, the only places you can go to is the 2 pubs. I will say right now i hate it here

Moranbah is a wonderful place for not only singles but families. The schools are fantastic and the options are great for a remote location. Our only problem is that investors and owners of properties in Moranbah see the mighty dollar sign and have increased rents so high that the average family have been pushed out of the market. Some of the rental properties could be referred to as dog boxes with owners refusing to maintain general wear and tear. I would applaud any new investor that looks outside the box and offers rental properties for an affordable amount. Remember not everyone in town is a miiner!

This is a purpose built town for workers of the surrounding mines and their families. There is only one grocery store that sells mediocre fresh food quality. The local pub is in its original 30 year old condition and is too rough at night to take a family out. A workers club is more family orientated however the food is not good due to the common struggle by local service providers to source and keep staff. The attraction of high wages in the mines prevails. There is a kindergarten and two day care centres heavily booked and expensive, two primary schools and a high school. There are many sports for children and adults. The restaurants are low to average quality and overpriced. Qantas link provide flights to Brisbane however fares are expensive in comparison to driving to Mackay 2.5hrs East and flying from there. There is limited entertainment for children with a cinema complex now having been closed for 3 years. Enjoyment of the town depends on who you make friends with and socialise with because there are not many venues to meet people outside of work or the pubs for singles/couples and schools for family people. There are a small number of stores providing basic needs. Internet access is terrible and mobile phone reception limited to Telstra and patchy Optus. Digital TV not scheduled until next year.

Lambert Drive is in the best part of Moranbah and it is part of "Isaac Views" development - surrounded by brand new homes. Tidy and very much great, quality, family environment.
Moranbah is a regional town with only two hours drive to the ocean beaches. Nice, clean, very vibrant, friendly and safe. Moranbah has more facilities than any other comparable town of this size. There is no shortage of money for ongoing improvements - as mines and other industries are willing contributors to improve facilities and provide quality of living in Moranbah.
Great town for work – as employers will fight to get you working for them!!!!! Great for business as it seems like everyone has plenty of money in town!

Highly recommended !