Australian Mining Industry Profile

...Australia is one of the world’s leading commodity producers। The minerals industry is a major driver of economic growth in Australia and contributes the greatest share of the country’s export revenues.
Australia mines the largest quantities of alumina, zircon, bauxite, rutile, tantalum and ilmenite in the world. The country also produces significant amounts of gold, silver, diamonds, iron ore, lead, coal, zinc, manganese and uranium. In aluminium production, it ranks fifth in the world. Blessed with abundant mineral and metal resources, Australia is almost self sufficient in several commodities.
More than half of Australia’s export earnings come from minerals. China, Japan and India are major customers. Australia’s mining industry is currently experiencing a boom because of high demand from India and China. Healthy economic growth in both countries is expected to drive demand further.
The country has a long standing reputation for high quality research and development in the areas of minerals exploration and processing. This along with mining equipment technology and services, which are of a very high standard have made the Australian mining industry one of the world’s best.
The mining industry employs more than 130,000 Australians directly. If you add the number of people employed indirectly, the figure goes up to 320,000. Employee growth rate in the mining sector is the fastest across industries in Australia. Mining workers in Australia earn more than workers in other industries, the average mining wage being approximately AUSD 100, 000 per annum against a national average of AUSD 58, 874 in 2008 (according to an ABS report). Women comprise a minor percentage of the workforce and normally earn less than men in similar positions.
Most positions in the mining industry are full time, there are very few part time roles available. Mining employees are normally required to work on a rostered basis, which means working for a number of days or weeks at a stretch before taking a break for a few days or a week. On an average, the number of hours worked by mining personnel on a weekly basis is considerably higher than what other Australian employees put in.
A significant percentage of mining personnel are employed in the transport and intermediate production group. Tradespersons and associated workers constitute a sizable percentage of the mining workforce and a relatively high proportion of employees hold trade qualifications. The industry invests substantially in on – the – job training and relies on vocational education and training to upgrade employee skills.
In Australia, mining companies operate principally in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. According to reports, mining contributes approximately 8% of GDP and accounts for major infrastructure spending in Australia. Over the years, the industry has constructed several airfields, long stretches of rail tracks, towns, ports and associated infrastructure.
A host of companies, large and small, operate in the Australian mining sector. Major players include BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Fortescue, to name a few. Many Australian mining majors are engaged in overseas mining businesses as well.
The Australian mining industry has one of the best records in industrial safety and environmentally sustainable practices. The mining sector employs more environment science specialists than any other industry in the country and it aims to be in the forefront of global sustainable development.
Overall, the minerals and mining sector has made significant contributions to social and economic development in Australia. Despite the current global economic slowdown and market volatility, Australia’s mining industry holds promise for continuing expansion and development.