# Sucks working on the mines



## hazza88 (May 28, 2011)

I work away 1 week on 1 week off and it sucks not seeing my snake every week *couch* and girlfriend but at least i get to do all the snake removals at work when i am not doing my other job


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## spilota_variegata (May 28, 2011)

26 weeks off a year.. Some people would kill to get that sort of time off


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## Asharee133 (May 28, 2011)

dont you guys just sit on your tooshe all day in a huge truck anyway?


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## blakehose (May 28, 2011)

Asharee133 said:


> dont you guys just sit on your tooshe all day in a huge truck anyway?



Not quite..


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## Moreliavridis (May 28, 2011)

Asharee133 said:


> dont you guys just sit on your tooshe all day in a huge truck anyway?


 
Far from it!


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## FAY (May 28, 2011)

My friends hubby just got a job at the mines in Mongolia. Who the hell would do that?


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## abnrmal91 (May 28, 2011)

I think it's funny you put missing your snake infront of your girlfriend lol


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## Ozzie Python (May 28, 2011)

1 on, 1 off would be sweet!

i work mine, pipeline and wharf jobs all over Australia, PNG, SE Asia, NZ and soon to be around Saudi and the Middle East. 

I work when im told, where im told. $55k salary, no overtime, no days off and usually 12-16 hour days. Not seeing my wife, 6 month old child, herps, and generally being broke i see no reason for you to complain. But yes i also get to see plenty of herps which is my only bonus.

I'm assuming your on good money, do it for a while and don't piss it up against a wall and st yourself up for an easier future. Plenty of people out there that will be happy to swap jobs with you, myself included.


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## bigfella77 (May 28, 2011)

Im usually away 4-5 nights a week also, luckily the missus and kids are keen on reptiles so always have some keen eyes looking out for me when im away.


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## yeldarb (May 28, 2011)

hazza88 said:


> Sucks working on the mines - I work away 1 week on 1 week off and it sucks not seeing my snake every week *couch* and girlfriend but at least i get to do all the snake removals at work when i am not doing my other job



The good thing about life is that it is full of choices, if it sucks so much do your self a favour and choose to change it. 

Cheers Brad


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## Bluetongue1 (May 28, 2011)

FAY said:


> My friends hubby just got a job at the mines in Mongolia. Who the hell would do that?


 Mongolia??? Far out… He must REALLY like Chinese take away!


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## abnrmal91 (May 29, 2011)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Mongolia??? Far out… He must REALLY like Chinese take away!


 
I am sorry but Fail. It would be Mongolian food (not Chinese) and in Mongolia it's just called food. 

I wouldn't mind getting into the mine, the hardest part is getting in initially. I am a fitter machinist by trade but everywhere wants people with experience on certain machines. No one wants to give you the experience in the first place.


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## hazza88 (May 29, 2011)

i new a guy that was on 30 grand a month working over seas on the mines but he works 2 months on 1 month off


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## abnrmal91 (May 29, 2011)

hazza88 said:


> i new a guy that was on 30 grand a month working over seas on the mines but he works 2 months on 1 month off


 
I would be happy with that. If you managed your money if you did that for a couple of years you would be setup really well. 

What annoys me is I have heavy fitting experience but they want more than that. So I can't even get a foot in the door.


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## kawasakirider (May 29, 2011)

Some of these work stories sound pretty harsh... I've just been guaranteed $1300 a week after tax and the work is always going to be there. The absolute worst week would be around a grand after tax and up to $1600. 

A mate of mine just got into the mines as an apprentice drill fitter, he got in straight away and hadn't had any prior qualifications, didn't know anyone either.


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## abnrmal91 (May 29, 2011)

kawasakirider said:


> Some of these work stories sound pretty harsh... I've just been guaranteed $1300 a week after tax and the work is always going to be there. The absolute worst week would be around a grand after tax and up to $1600.
> 
> A mate of mine just got into the mines as an apprentice drill fitter, he got in straight away and hadn't had any prior qualifications, didn't know anyone either.


 
Yes it's good money but I am already making that much living 1/2hr from work. I wouldn't be able to live on that if I had to move to be closer to a mine site. The cost of living near the mines in WA is ridiculously high. For that amount of money it's not cost effective. I already have a trade and work on trains for a living. BHP some times have jobs going to maintain their freight cars so I am trying for that.


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## AUSGECKO (May 29, 2011)

I Would love to work in the mines and get the good money but I have to help my missus everyday and stay close to a major hospital as she has some life threatening medical conditions.
I recently just got my HR (heavy rigid) license, and I'm trying to get a job driving a concrete agitator but I'm finding it extremely difficult as no one wants to teach you and every job wants drivers with at least 2 years experience driving a truck......


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## hazza88 (May 29, 2011)

yer at the site i am at the mine owns the town and rent is like 116$ a month with free electricity and water but i do fly in fly out


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## AUSGECKO (May 29, 2011)

Is that it $116 a month? My rent for a 2 bedroom unit at penrith is $330 a week! I'm moving to a mining town......


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## reptilian1924 (May 29, 2011)

hazza88 said:


> yer at the site i am at the mine owns the town and rent is like 116$ a month with free electricity and water but i do fly in fly out


You say your rent is only $116-00 a month and free electricity & water and free travel to and from the mine, please let me know when a room becomes available l am moving to a mining town.


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## benjamind2010 (May 29, 2011)

I heard it on the grapevine that some mining towns you can't find anything for under 500-600 a week. Yes, I can indeed be serious.


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## bigfella77 (May 29, 2011)

I have mates in the mines and most of them dont really enjoy the actual job, driving a dump truck from point A to point B for 12 hours a day gets pretty boring and the view is not the best either. Im lucky to have a job I love and the money is not far behind what mines pay and I havea company vehicle which saves me a few hundred a week.


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## chilli-mudcrab (May 29, 2011)

All depend on what you want to do. I work for rio tinto in gove, NT. Excellent pay, 4 days on 4 off, 6 week holidays, rent is $2 a week plus FREE electricity and water and some of the best fishing.
The downside is the lack of facilities, very expensive food often 400% mark up, very isolated 10 hours 4x4 to katherine and this is under water 7 or 8 months a year you can fly but for two adults and 2 kids it's a min of $2000 just to get to darwin


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## wokka (May 29, 2011)

It must be soul destroying being part of environmental destruction on such a large scale.


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## tooreye (May 29, 2011)

i work as a fitter in the mining industry i hate going to sites, ive been to many sites throughout the country and about the only benifit i see is the country you get to see as you go. Mines are ridiculously restrictive in how you can do your work and its bloody painful to do anything more than check the oil level on a machine on some sites I rarely go to sites these days as i just find it to frustrating to do my job but the best part is alot of these companies come to our workshop and try to install their stupid regulations on our site. The money these people earn sounds good but you have to remember that they dont get paid on their days off so a 1 and 1 roster you only get paid for half the year and ive found that most places pay sounds good but when you work it out i get pretty much the same working in town without having to go away, my brother works overseas on what sounds big money but he is also working 8 and 4 in kyrgyzstan and at the end of the day its not a hell of alot more than mebefore that he was doing 4 and 2 in png and getting the same money.


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## FAY (May 29, 2011)

tooreye said:


> my brother works overseas on what sounds big money but he is also working 8 and 4 in kyrgyzstan and at the end of the day its not a hell of alot more than mebefore that he was doing 4 and 2 in png and getting the same money.



Tooreye, your brother may know my friends hubby. He was at PNG but is now in Mongolia...not sure whether that is Kyrgyzstan.


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## malachi51 (May 29, 2011)

Geck82 said:


> Is that it $116 a month? My rent for a 2 bedroom unit at penrith is $330 a week! I'm moving to a mining town......


 they're not all like that, I'm in a mining town, rent here for a dodgy 3 bedroom old house is $1500 per week. And not everyone works on the mines or the gas plant, so for most people that would be more than their weeks income, just to pay the rent. It is very common here for 3 couples to be living in that 3 bedroom house, with another couple living in a caravan out the back, just to pay the rent. Not all it's cracked up to be. I'm sick of the costs and really wanting to leave.


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## kawasakirider (May 29, 2011)

abnrmal91 said:


> Yes it's good money but I am already making that much living 1/2hr from work. I wouldn't be able to live on that if I had to move to be closer to a mine site. The cost of living near the mines in WA is ridiculously high. For that amount of money it's not cost effective. I already have a trade and work on trains for a living. BHP some times have jobs going to maintain their freight cars so I am trying for that.



Well my mates on $21 an hour before tax as an apprentice and he works 5 days a week in an open cut mine in Qld. 

The job I've been offered isn't the mines, but the money's good


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## 87batesy (May 29, 2011)

One thing i miss about working away at the mines is the "love" you share with your woman when you get home!

if you now what i mean


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## spilota_variegata (May 29, 2011)

87batesy said:


> One thing i miss about working away at the mines is the "love" you share with your woman when you get home!
> 
> if you now what i mean



I've never worked on a mine but I have had a job or two which required me to be away from home for months at a time. When I was young, it was great and exciting. Now if I have to travel for work, I pay for my family to come with me. My wife and daughter have come with me to England 3 times in the last 3 years and will be most likely going again in the October timeframe. They absolutely love the travelling.

I couldn't imagine being away from the family anymore and I know exactly what you mean about the "love shared" when you get home from being away. I did find that if I were away for several months, it would take my wife a bit of getting used to me being back. It's a common thing evidently.


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## sarah_m (May 29, 2011)

hazza88 said:


> it sucks not seeing my snake every week *couch* and girlfriend


 You miss your COUCH before your girlfriend??? Must be a good couch!


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## Boidae (May 29, 2011)

By the sounds of it, you have it better than alot of other people on here.
Apparently you only work 26 weeks a year, and your rent is $116 per month,
and I'd assume working in the mines would be pretty descent money as well.
I fail to see what you are complaining about...
If I am missing something, please point it out to me


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## Ozzie Python (May 29, 2011)

wokka said:


> It must be soul destroying being part of environmental destruction on such a large scale.


 
wokka, to be honest i think about envoronmental impact a lot. but at the same time, we would all be complaining if we were living in the dark with no power. i'm all for it but we are a long way off producing enough power for the country without using coal and gas.

the way i see it, my line of work prevent pipelines/structures from suffereing failure due to corrosion, so in a way im preventing more replacement lines being added at a rapid rate so there is a little comfort in my work. a lot of my work is outside of the energy trade also, actually majority is the marine industry. however pipelines only take up a small amount of land, and there is a lot of money spent on rehab (usually a 15m wide corridor). mines however i feel are fairly destructive.


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## Jk888 (May 29, 2011)

meh working in the mines is easy underground makes it a challenge though


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## MiddleOfNowhere (Jun 18, 2011)

A few things to add.

1) Not all miners get insane pay checks. I know of a few office workers on only $30,000 and others on $100,000+. This does not go on how much they know, or time spent with a company.

2) Work/Purchase Orders. Enough said for people working in mines. For non-miners, a work order is what needs to be put in before any work can be done, generally a work order can only be put in by an administrator, on larger sites everyone is clambering for that administrator to put in a work order. That administrator is told that every work order is of the highest importance, and her work falls behind, (s)he then gets thier *** kicked for their work falling behind, and ****** everyone off by not putting in WO's straight away. Work gets held up, things take months, then the computer wipes the work order off the system as it is way over due and then someone gets their *** kicked for not getting a job organised.

3) There are different rules and regulations for each site and breaking one of these can be an instant dismissal. This can even be something like being 1.5m off the ground and not wearing a fall arrest harness.
You can lose your job for things you do on your days off. Safety Officer fired by his manager for mowing his lawn on his days off while wearing thongs.

4) I have spoken to a few people that have had to leave the mining industry to be back with their loved ones because their marriage was failing. Contrary to popular belief it is usually 2 weeks on 1 week off. And i am sure that many people can attest that being on shift work throws their body clock around something fierce. When most miners get home they usually have a tonne of jobs to get done around the house, people that want to catch up and organise your time for you (not understanding that you want some rest and are under the belief that you have nothing to do), and also trying to find time to relax for a bit.

5) It can be very easy, or very hard to get into the mining industry.

6) Karratha and Port Hedland. Look at the rent, and price of housing. $2000 a week seems very very steep.

Many other points but i can't be bothered right now.

Working on mines. It is a very different atmosphere, and a different way of living. Some people can handle it, and others can't (this includes loved ones at home). Some things are really annoying, like getting inductions, and getting signed off to use a drill (don't laugh, i'm serious) and other various equipment. I doubt that i could work back in the "real world", i tried once and quit in a fortnight, and peak hour is insane, not sure how people deal with that.

Best of luck for all those that want to get into the mining industry, but remember that the bigger paying mines are in WA and their FIFO is usually from Perth. Houses are expensive, cost of living is expensive, rent is expensive, reptile trade is minimal and restrictive, and your reptiles stay out of WA due to import bans.

MON



wokka said:


> It must be soul destroying being part of environmental destruction on such a large scale.



Not too much thought put into that statement.
Do you wear Jewellery?
Do you have a phone?
Drive a car?
Enjoy electricity?

Mining supplies the minerals/gasses you need for those. Even that computer that your staring at uses minerals follow the link http://www.nma.org/pdf/m_computer.pdf . And guess what needs to happen for you to have those luxuries.
Yes mining is environmentally destructive, but so are cities, and shock horror, farming. How much damage was created through the wheatbelt?

Get off your high horse unless you would like to live without technology, and other luxuries. You may not like it, others may not like it, but it is a necessity at present, besides i didn't hear many people complaining about the mining tax (outside of miners) until people were told that most of the money would be kept in WA.

MON


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## wokka (Jun 18, 2011)

MiddleOfNowhere said:


> Not too much thought put into that statement.
> Do you wear Jewellery?
> Do you have a phone?
> Drive a car?
> ...


My concern is with the frenzy to mine as quick as possible so we can use whatever, say coal, as quick as possible so we can mine some more to use some more. It is hardly sustainable. Everything in moderation, particularly when it has such far reaching and long lasting effect on many unwilling participants.


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## MiddleOfNowhere (Jun 18, 2011)

It is quite simply keeping up with demand. How many people have complained about the cost of certain products? The demand has increased exponentially over the years due to a higher population worldwide. People want technology, people want houses, people want jobs.

I agree it has several long lasting effects, i have seen tailings dams from decades ago that are still barren, man made mountains of rocks that doesn't support much life (good for reptiles though). But to be fair there are open pits, and old dams that are now a permanent water source in places that rarely had water. Mining has come a fair way from what it used to be, and the environmental impacts have lessened due to initiatives put in place by environmentalists.

As far as i'm concerned the only unwilling participants of the mining industries are animals. Every single person that uses this forum in some way has to condone mining, Your using a computer, i don't care if it isn't your computer, your still using one. Unless your house is built of wood (damn lumberjacks destroying forests) or you live in a cave (natural not man made) then you are benefitting from it, and at some level condoning it.

Oh and if your concern was how much mining is happening, and that people need to use things in moderation, then why not say that in the first place, instead of making a derogtory statement.

MON


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## jedi_339 (Jun 22, 2011)

I recently got back from a job working on the mine, the pay was definitely not great for me, My company was subcontracting to a subcontractor who were hired by the mine managing company by the Chinese company owning the mine, so to get anything done was ridiculously complex.

As an environmental inspector on site the tasks we were performing (patrolling a de-watering and slurry pipeline trench for fauna) were quite low on anyone's priority and we were always the last to find out where we were needed, so it was difficult.

You're lucky with a week on week off roster, my roster was 29 days on 8 days off with two of those days taken up by travel from the Pilbara to Brisbane, (including stops in Perth etc it worked out to be 13hrs each way)

The rewarding thing about working in the mines however is providing you don't piss it all against the back of a urinal , and if you have no family, i.e younger people, there is a lot of opportunity to save money, I was away from home for one month and I think I spent $120 albeit my phone bill was quite high when I returned.

The mine I was on was pretty good by comparison, my accommodation, meals and flights were all paid for by my subcontractors, 3 hot meals a day for a month at a time makes you feel a bit funny when you get home, I was walking around the supermarket shocked and appalled that I had to pay for food again, let alone washing up after myself lol

but I agree with MON, it's all about keeping up with the current demand of society in Australia and abroad (the mine I was on was owned by the Chinese so all the iron ore would eventually be going to China) and the land........owned by Clive Palmer, 25 year lease to the mine, the rich get rich aye


And as a side note, I checked the real estate prices in Karatha on my day off, a 4 bedroom house selling for $1.2mil, it isn't the best thing for the communities, imagine a checkout fellow working at woolies or Maccas trying to live in a mining town, he doesn't get a large salary but he has to try and live in a place where things can be ridiculously overpriced.

Food for thought anyway, to summarise my experience at the mines was mixed lol


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