Who works in the mines and what doing

[BLKWDW]

Originally Posted by dave351cid

there are a couple of fairly new coal mines in the Mudgee area and a big gold mine at Orange that doing some major expansions, i know a couple of guys working there with the contractors and making good $$$.

I've been trying to get into the mines at orange for the last 2yrs. North Parkes Mines is another one.

[Road Games]

Yes mate they do .. they also pay a "Coal Bonus" depending on how much material gets railed ..

Apprentices dont recieve this straight up .. but after 4 years of your time you can recieve a $20000+ lump sum

Or so i have experienced anyway ...

[Franco Cozzo]

Is the shotfirer course nation wide thing or depends on state to state? For example, can I do it in Victoria, and it works Australia wide?

What do you guys do with all the cash you get?

[ELGT4me]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Is the shotfirer course nation wide thing or depends on state to state? For example, can I do it in Victoria, and it works Australia wide?

What do you guys do with all the cash you get?

Pay huge amounts of tax!!!

[05_ENFORCER]

Originally Posted by ELGT4me

Pay huge amounts of tax!!!

If you are or have been in mining for a while, PM me and I'll give you some free financial advise.

No one needs to pay more than they are legally required to pay

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by XR6menace

Yes mate they do .. they also pay a "Coal Bonus" depending on how much material gets railed ..

Apprentices dont recieve this straight up .. but after 4 years of your time you can recieve a $20000+ lump sum

Or so i have experienced anyway ...

****en hell.
We are the ones out there actually moving the coal on the trains, and we only got paid a $5000 coal bonus for moving 15 million tons! We got ripped.

[comagutsa]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Is the shotfirer course nation wide thing or depends on state to state? For example, can I do it in Victoria, and it works Australia wide?

What do you guys do with all the cash you get?

AT THIS STAGE SHOTFIRERS (caps ) have to get a licence in each state but saying this they are in the process of changing this to make it one licence for the whole of OZ. i think it will start around the end of the year but may take a little longer

and as for your other question pay the morgage and buy toys
house, ute, motor bike, guns .22 & 234, compound bows, trips the mrs spends it haha etc
i have been mining before the boom started about 9 years ago...you do miss out on alot i started doing 4 weeks on 1 off, then 3&1, then i when civil blasting 6weeks on 1 off back to 3 and 1 then 2 and 1 and now 9 days on 5 off

[Bundy]

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story...rators-mackay/

Its a 5 day course costs about 4 grand, think they're still running at a 100% job placement for candiates.

Dumpies will pull 100-125K

Boring as job BTW

[Franco Cozzo]

Still boring job at the mines beats boring job everywhere else.

[Stazza_Brendan]

I quit my job of 4.5 years to get start in mining. Was never going to own a house in mackay doing a town job. Got my generics and coal board medical and put in for job with a mining employment agency.
Doing a long wall move shutdown at the moment at north goonyella.
First job,,, work your **** off, do all the dirty jobs and put your hand up for everything. Not really suck up to the boss. More so be a reliable, dependable worker.
I've done the above and the bosses are impressed and asked me to put in for a permanent job there and one of the bosses has offered to write me up a reference without me even asking.
Only qualifications I had was forklift ticket and good on computers... once on job I was driving a 50t forklift(size of house) and running their receivals in store for a bit.

[mondo_broady]

yep one of the biggest issues at our mine is absenteeism. if you are reliable on that front it's a big plus.

most of the "boneheads" are unskilled, as in not trades, but have acquired skills learned on the job.

i might have a lead for some drilling jobs in qld too if anyone is interested, i can find out some details?

[Polyal]

Well I have had my heart on working in the automotive industry with my mech eng degree (5 units to go!) but the more I think about it the more Im looking at resources/energy long term...the money is hard to look past when you have a young family although FIFO will take some time to get used to.

Im waiting on Rio to get back to me at the moment with some summer work which Ive got into the next round..just need to get some experience first.

[mondo_broady]

my advice, have a plan and stick to it. don't be seduced by the money and live too lavish a lifestyle like me. i've earned good coin for 20+ years and got bugger all to show for it as i live a bloody nice lifestyle. mining isn't something you want to do as a lifelong occupation and can set you up for life if you are smart about it...

[Franco Cozzo]

I want a mining job just to put the cash towards a house, particularly if you can pay it off in a few years.

[potsyfromparkes]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

Thanks for the comment mate, wollongong would be a good change, im in wagga at the moment, dad lives at lake illawarra, geese i wish i could do that course ! should have saved my tax, ill throw my name in with the companys you said, thanks lots

Contact GWS employment services in Parkes Tel.0268626061 and make some enquiries in regards to gaining employment at NorthParkes mine.
They do all the hiring and firing and give many cleanskins a start because they cannot retain good people;they go elsewhere such as Hunter Valley or Cadia @ Orange.
The money is terrible @ NorthParkes and you will be casual but at least it is a start in the industry. Have been told they only pay $23/hour casual underground;thus high turnover of good good employees.

[vibe_xr6]

Originally Posted by potsyfromparkes

Contact GWS employment services in Parkes Tel.0268626061 and make some enquiries in regards to gaining employment at NorthParkes mine.
They do all the hiring and firing and give many cleanskins a start because they cannot retain good people;they go elsewhere such as Hunter Valley or Cadia @ Orange.
The money is terrible @ NorthParkes and you will be casual but at least it is a start in the industry. Have been told they only pay $23/hour casual underground;thus high turnover of good good employees.

Thanks so much mate !! I have registered with 3 agencies so far, i looked at alot of plant op jobs advertised and as most people said, generic is needed

[Franco Cozzo]

How do you guys find FIFO? Would you rather just pack up and move to the area if you had the cash and no dependants?

[GS608]

Originally Posted by BrisVegas

My wife is looking at taking a remote posting in Qld "somewhere" as a school teacher. I'm keen for a change of scene, as I've been in IT for 15 years. A mate of mine's wife got a posting to Moranbah a few years ago and he's picked up work with a contract mob building dongas. He's a plumber, so walked into a job. My mate was saying it's easy enough to get a job driving dump trucks with just a car licence, especially if you're living in a mining town. "Boneheads" as he calls them, make just as much as trades.

I was thinking it would be good to get a proper skill or trade if the opportunity came up. I see places advertising for apprenticeships and was wondering if this would be possible as a non-school leaver?

Money won't be critical if we can get teacher housing. Her wage would cover our living costs, so I could afford to go back to apprentice wages. Vice versa to our current situation! Anyone know whether the mines pay apprentices more than regular workplaces?

ALOT more, my mates nephew just started a boilermaking apprenticeship, he is 16 and on $90k apparently. This is up in Gladstone.

[BrisVegas]

Originally Posted by 5.0

ALOT more, my mates nephew just started a boilermaking apprenticeship, he is 16 and on $90k apparently. This is up in Gladstone.

struth! I was thinking it would be like $30-40k or something? It's rare to see $90k in IT jobs in the city, unless you're a project manager or team leader.

[mondo_broady]

Originally Posted by 5.0

ALOT more, my mates nephew just started a boilermaking apprenticeship, he is 16 and on $90k apparently. This is up in Gladstone.

i would question that if he's a 1st year? some tradesmen i know in coalmining don't even earn that sort of coin.

as for the question someone asked about FIFO as opposed to living in the area. most of the remote towns are well... sh1tholes and blokes end up on the **** 'cause there's nothing else to do... well so i'm told by guys who've been there, done that...

[Gobes32]

So there really is a huge demand for labour in the mining industry? I only have Forklift, Doggers and are still employed full time in a job I do love. However, I also have a young family and redundancy has been playing on my mind lately. I guess my question is, is it really possible for the average guy to score a 100k fly in fly out job?

[Road Games]

Yep ...

[naddis01]

Is it possible to find a mining job that is realatively close to civilisation (ie within 100km of somewhere) where accommodation doesn't cost your first born? My wife isn't too keen on living anywhere much more isolated than here. Plus FIFO doesn't really appeal when 2 kids under 2.

Is an agricultural background attractive for a machine operator type job? I am guess you would have to start out as a labourer first before getting an operators job.

[mondo_broady]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

I guess my question is, is it really possible for the average guy to score a 100k fly in fly out job?

more. WA is screaming out for guys to do FIFO and so are some of the QLD coal operations. there will be jobs around gunnedah in nsw as well when the chines finally get their massive operation off the ground.

if you can get your hands on a copy of the sydney daily telegraph from last friday (or maybe check their website?) they did a big full page article on the mining boom in that area.

[GS608]

Originally Posted by mondo_broady

i would question that if he's a 1st year? some tradesmen i know in coalmining don't even earn that sort of coin.

Yeah mate i wasn't too sure of the legitimacy of the claim, not sure if its the coal mine or gas pipe line hes on, $30-50k is a bit more realistic just depends on what trade.

[gtfpv]

CRIKEY ALLMIGHTY . i cant understand the logic people are using here with questions . i have to say , if mining is good and you can earn great money go for it sure .
but ask some decent questions .
heres some questions i'd be asking .
how much would i earn ?
what would the living expenses be ?
what are the health hazards?
will it shorten my life expectancy ?
why do people leave the mines ?
why is there high rates of absenteeism ?
is there a high turnover ?
are immigrants working along side you ? if so are they safe? are they trained the same ? and on the same money? and working for the same employer as i will be ?
what is coal miners lung? / or black lung? and is it preventable ?
what is the injury rate/ and accident fatality rate ?

all i'm seeing here is how much money you can get . if thats the criteria people are looking at no wonder boneheads cant shove sticks up a dogs rear .
i'd want to have an understanding of all these things before i accept any role .

[ieatsports_cars]

I want to get into the mines as a cleaner or a kitchen assistant , i been trying for a very long time

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by ieatsports_cars

I want to get into the mines as a cleaner or a kitchen assistant , i been trying for a very long time

well this doesnt quite go aling the lines of the picture being painted here in this thread .

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

CRIKEY ALLMIGHTY . i cant understand the logic people are using here with questions . i have to say , if mining is good and you can earn great money go for it sure .
but ask some decent questions .
heres some questions i'd be asking .
how much would i earn ?
what would the living expenses be ?
what are the health hazards?
will it shorten my life expectancy ?
why do people leave the mines ?
why is there high rates of absenteeism ?
is there a high turnover ?
are immigrants working along side you ? if so are they safe? are they trained the same ? and on the same money? and working for the same employer as i will be ?
what is coal miners lung? / or black lung? and is it preventable ?
what is the injury rate/ and accident fatality rate ?

all i'm seeing here is how much money you can get . if thats the criteria people are looking at no wonder boneheads cant shove sticks up a dogs rear .
i'd want to have an understanding of all these things before i accept any role .

And yet you can get knocked over by a granny driving a camry any day of the week.

You have a point, you get paid for a reason, Im sure most people can accept that. It has a high divorce rate aswell.

[GT 160]

Most of the "mule" i mean "plant operator" jobs here in the Hunter Valley are done through labour hire firms which more often than not is a 12+ mth traineeship. They generally cover all your inductions etc

Try companies like Tessa, Pegasus, Resco