A parliamentary inquiry investigating employment in the mining industry has heard that fly-in fly-out (FIFO) arrangements are hurting regional towns.

Public hearings began in Mackay and Moranbah on Monday and will continue for the rest of the week in towns throughout the coal-rich Bowen Basin.

More than 230 submissions have been made to the inquiry - which is looking into FIFO practices and their impact on regional towns.

The hearings have heard evidence from a former mine worker, a mining services company, the Mackay and Whitsunday regional councils and federal MP Bob Katter.

Committee chairman Jim Pearce, who is a Labor MP and former coal miner, said people needed to have their say on the issue.

"What will happen by the end of the week, is there'll be four or five issues that will actually come to the top, and they'll be the things that we need to target as far as recommendations go," he said.

Mr Pearce said he thinks the committee will hear emotive evidence over the next week of public hearings.

"It's a very emotive issue for families, and women in particular who're seeing what's happening to their husbands, worried about their jobs, security, seeing a downturn in pay, not being able to get a job, when they live alongside a mine," he said.

"It's a shame we don't have mining companies with a conscience today, they just don't care anymore about the workforce or the community."

Mr Pearce also addressed concerns about his impartiality on the FIFO topic.

"I'm always honest, and yes, I've got things in my mind [that] I'd like to see happen over the next few months, but in saying that, I have great respect for the other members of the panel, and there will be six of us making decisions in regards to the recommendations that go to Parliament," he said.

Leave it to the industry to sort itself out: Mastermyne

Human resources manager Vic Gayton from mining services company Mastermyne said the Government should not look to introduce regulations on the use of FIFO workers.

She said her company does not feel the issue should be given so much air time.

"Mastermyne feels really strongly about the debate around FIFO. Prominently because we feel it's a debate that shouldn't have gained the momentum that it's gained," she said.

"For the last 40 years, the sector has looked after itself and managed the situation or matter really soundly.

It's only been because the pendulum has been pushed too far in one direction by two new projects that all of a sudden, it's a matter for the Government.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 2 minutes 40 seconds 2 m 40 s Mastermyne general manager Viv Gayton discusses FIFO practices Download 4.9 MB

"And we certainly feel that, leave it to the sector, leave it to the industry to sort itself out, and it should not be a matter that is regulated ... there's too much regulation in the sector now," she said.

But Ms Gayton said workers should not be forced into particular employment situations.

"It's about choice. An employee should not be restricted by employment because of where they choose to live," she said.

"There's a number of reasons why our workers decide to live in their residential locations they choose to live in, it's a residential lifestyle choice, it's a family choice and forcing them to live in a particular location for a job is, in our view, incredibly unfair."

'No one living near mines can get a job there'

Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) district president Steve Smyth told 612 ABC Brisbane the worst impact of FIFO policy was felt in towns close to BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) mining operations in central Queensland, because no-one living near the mines could get a job as a miner.

"The easiest one is the Caval Ridge mine, owned by BHP at Moranbah. People who live in that town can't apply for a job at Caval Ridge mine, which you can see from the town ... people will drive past that mine to go to other mines in the area but never be able to have the opportunity to work there," he said.

"It's because BMA introduced a compulsory 100 per cent FIFO arrangement which requires people living within 100 kilometres of the Cairns or Brisbane airports.

"I say it's about trying to break down the community fabric as well as trying to break down the union, which has been in those communities for 40 or 50 years.

"At the end of the day it's just about fairness and what they're providing isn't fair to the people living in those communities," he said.

"It's destroying the communities, the services are gone, obviously people have had to pack up and find work.

"It's really ripped the guts out of these communities."

Mr Smyth said the CFMEU would tell the inquiry the issue was about giving workers proper opportunity and choice, which a compulsory FIFO arrangement did not provide.

He said BMA's response was that people could find work at other residential mines if they wanted to live in a mining community.