Mr Macfarlane, who retired from politics after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dumped him from his ministry a year ago, will take up his new role in November.

He will replace outgoing QRC chief executive Michael Roche, who announced his intention to leave the post in July, after 11 years in the role.

Mr Macfarlane said the job offer came at an opportune time, as he was struggling with his retirement.

"I was looking for my golf ball off the sixth fairway and one of the people helping QRC with the search (for a new chief executive) rang me and asked me if I'd consider it," he said.

"So I thought about it over the weekend – that was about eight weeks ago – and since then I've realised I'm not ready to retire as well, so it sort of fitted in perfectly."

It was a case of good timing, Mr Macfarlane said.

"I've got to admit retirement's not all it's cracked up to be, so I'm looking forward to getting back to work," he said.

The new job would require Mr Macfarlane to move to Brisbane, but he said he would still draw on his country experience.

"Being from regional Queensland and being someone who's been a farmer for more time than he's been anything else, working with regional communities and ensuring they're the beneficiaries of the resource industry as much as anyone else is the goal I've got," he said.

"And also, of course, ensuring that it complies with the highest standards of environmental co-operation.

"We need to see the resources industry continue to invest in Queensland and that's obviously what I'm there for."

Mr Macfarlane said what the resources industry in Queensland, which had seen 20,000 job losses in two years, needed more than anything else as he took the helm of the QRC was certainty.

"We need to create an environment in Queensland where people can invest with confidence but at the same time ensure that they're complying with their environmental and community license," he said.

Mr Macfarlane's predecessor, Mr Roche, had taken an increasingly combative approach to the role, in particular with green groups and litigants, in the wake of the sector's downturn.

Mr Macfarlane said he would seek a conciliatory tone, to a degree.

"Everyone's different and I guess what I'll be doing is operating on the basis that I'm prepared to have an open and frank debate," he said.

"But I'd ask people involved in that debate to be truthful and factual.

"Decision-making is based around facts and science and that's going to be my attitude.

"If everyone works to those parameters, then I am sure we can resolve any differences we may have."

The incoming president of the QRC, Rag Udd, said the council's board had secured the services of someone of a significant calibre.

"Ian has had a distinguished career in the Federal Parliament and for most of that time served as a minister or shadow minister in portfolios which included responsibility for the resources sector," he said.

"Ian is much admired in the resources sector for his deep knowledge of and affinity for the sector. He has proven himself to be bipartisan in his approach to policy and advocacy.

"Ian brings to the role a deep knowledge of bureaucracy, government and industry players, which means that he will be able to hit the ground running."

Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said Mr Macfarlane's appointment was "a disgrace" that showed the political system was broken.

"Our politics have been hijacked by big polluters, and this is just the most recent example," she said.

"Australians are sick to death of the revolving door between politics, big business and big polluters.

"The mining industry and big polluters stalk the halls of power and they're set to receive $24 billion in fossil fuel subsides in the next four years.

"Ordinary Australians can never hope for that level of access".

In a speech to Parliament in May, former prime minister Tony Abbott sung Mr Macfarlane's praises and expressed a desire his work as resources minister would be rewarded in post-political life.

"I hope this sector will acknowledge and demonstrate their gratitude to him in his years of retirement from this place," he said.

On Monday, Mr Abbott's hopes were realised.

The Queensland Labor government had previously offered Mr Macfarlane a role as the state's resources investment commissioner, which he declined as it would have triggered a byelection in his then-seat of Groom.