• Open cut mining
• Underground mining
• Mine development
• Processing – primary/secondary/tertiary
• Haulage and transport on site
• Site rehabilitation
• Blasting
• Production and development drilling

Metallic minerals include: bauxite, iron ore, lead concentrate, mineral sands, beneficiated ilmenite, ilmenite concentrate, leucoxene concentrate, rutile concentrate, zircon concentrate, zinc concentrate and zinc-lead concentrate.

Australia is the world’s leading producer of bauxite and alumina, diamonds (by volume), ilmenite, rutile and zircon. It is the second largest producer of iron ore, the third largest producer of aluminium, iron ore, nickel and gold. Overseas export of these commodities means that Australia has the largest bulk commodity mineral shipping task of any nation in the world.

ABARE report that after rising 23% in the five years to 2001-02, the total volume of Australian mine production is projected to rise by some 8% in 2006-07. Growth in mine output over this period is expected for nickel (55%), zinc (10%), bauxite and alumina (21% and 13% respectively), iron ore (14%), uranium (23%) and ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene and zircon (30 – 60%). These increases in production reflect the increasing output from new operations and expansion in capacity of others.

Mining and minerals processing accounted for directly and indirectly some 317,000 jobs, representing around 5.9 percent of total employment in 2001-02, many of which are in sparsely populated, remote and regional Australia.

The Metalliferous Mining industry, in its approximate 240 establishments, directly employs approximately 35,300 people. Mining and minerals processing sector accounted for around 25% of national GDP in 2001-02 directly, which underpins vitally important supply and demand relationships with the Australian manufacturing, construction, banking and financial, process engineering, property and transport sectors. It represents around $41 billion of Australia’s total export revenues in 2001–02, representing 37% of total merchandise exports and 28% of Australia’s total exports of goods and services. Current export value of minerals and metals processed, excluding mining and unprocessed ore sales is around approximately $8.5 billion per annum.

Exports of mining technology, equipment and services accounted for approximately $2 billion in 2001-02. As much as 60% of the mining software used in operations around the world is exported from Australia.

Around 16% of private new capital expenditure in Australia was for the mining and minerals processing sector in 2001-02. It is estimated by Federal Treasury that mining investment this financial year will increase by 33% on the previous year.

Significant infrastructure development has occurred in the sector. Since 1967 the industry has built 25 towns, 12 ports and additional port bulk handling infrastructure in many existing ports, 25 airfields and over 2,000 kilometres of rail line. The industry is often the sole provider of social infrastructure – health, education and welfare – in remote areas in Australia.  This infrastructure often endures long past the completion of mining activities.

The Australian Mining Industry is heavily regulated at both the federal and State/territory level. state/territory governments are responsible for regulatory issues such as occupational health and safety and environmental concerns. These activities are generally administered by the state/territory’s Department of Mineral Resources (or its equivalent).

The mining industry is also open to native title land claims under the Native Title Act 1994 (commonly known as the Mabo legislation). The act recognises that Indigenous people have rights to the land which they occupied prior to and continuously since European settlement in 1788.

Regulations involving environmental protection (including taxes, levies, fines and licences) have increased in recent years and will continue to increase in the immediate future. Increased emphasis on environmental issues has raised the importance of remediation work.

Despite the high level of expenditure and commitment to training, the industry will experience skill shortages due to rapid advancement of technology and areas requiring specialised and experienced workers. The mining and minerals processing sector relies on a higher proportion of highly skilled workers more than low skilled workers with a lesser amount on middle skill level workers whilst experiencing an overall declining workforce. Although there is a reliance on highly skilled workers there are changes occurring within the employment structure. The major factors contributing to skill shortages however appear to be:

• insufficient numbers in training; low awareness of the sector at both a secondary and tertiary level
• attrition from the ranks of skilled workers
• ageing workforce
• rapid changes in the breadth of the skills required in what is a rapidly changing technological environment
• low level of industry involvement/support due to competitive pressures
• available courses not entirely meeting the needs of the industry
• lack of public funding for existing employees to attain recognised skills
• limited funding to education limiting flexible response to industry needs
• perceived unattractive working environment in mining, remote locations
• addressing the skills gap within the sector, access to global skills supply.