Fact Sheet
The Mining Industry is responsible for the extraction of minerals such as coal and ores, crude petroleum and gases and others. Its members operate mines, quarries, or oil and gas wells, or provide a range of core support services to mining processes, including drilling.
The Australian Mining Industry is substantial and is in the top five producers of most of the world’s key minerals commodities, including:
- the world’s leading producer of lead, bauxite and alumina, ilmenite, rutile and zircon, synthetic rutile) and tantalum;
- the second largest producer of gold, iron ore, lead, uranium, diamonds (by weight) and zinc;
- the third largest producer of silver and nickel;
- the fourth largest producer of black coal and manganese; and
- the fifth largest producer of aluminum, copper and lignite
It is one of the biggest contributors to export trade, and its activities have a significant impact upon the manufacturing, construction, financial, process engineering, property, and transport sectors.
Exploration is a large component of the industry, with Western Australia currently being the major location for minerals exploration. Western Australia is also a proven producer with more than 300 mining and petroleum projects in operation producing more than 50 commodities for the global market.
Many employees in the industry operate on a fly in and fly out basis. In Western Australia, for example, more than 70 flights a day depart from Perth to the regions, and a significant proportion of these fly directly to mining and oil and gas sites.
Based on the 2006 Census the Mining industry employed almost 107,000 people, with more than 91,300 in full-time employment and over 7,000 in part-time employment. Over the past 20 years, the industry has contributed over $500 billion directly to national wealth. In 2006-2007, the Mining industry contributed more than $48.6 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).