Many Australians who have never traveled outside their leafy green inner-city suburbs get a kick from taking the mickey out of those of us in the Minerals & Energy game. When they’re not stereotyping us as filthy, semi-literate grunts (a la last year’s ALP advertisements), they’re sniping at us for making too much money and while in the process, raping and pillaging the earth — THEIR earth, as some point out, as though we should feel morally obliged to personally give them each a cut of our paychecks. (Hint: ever heard of taxes? royalties?)
Not only don’t they realise that many folks in the resources sector have tertiary and higher degrees; that Minerals & Energy companies here in Western Australia are very cognisant of taking good care of our environment and have whole departments dedicated to helping do that; that the WA resources sector (mining, oil & gas) is currently subsidising the leafy-green latte-sipping lifestyle they tend to take for granted … but they also they don’t realise that they haven’t even the first clue what really goes on, say, down a coal mine…
Now, here’s what some folks think of, when they think of coal mining… Good ol’ Devo, Workin’ in a Coal Mine:
But that was like, so last Millennium! Modern mining is a whole ‘nother thing altogether:
…
Now: a free plug for my State, and for my industry. Western Australia is a beaut state, but we need people!! From anywhere!! Check these out:
Wiki entry on Western Australia, for youse furriners.
Go West Now! Government portal; abject plea for people to come settle here.
mine4jobs.com. What it says.
The Tizona Group 
January 29, 2008, 7:33 pm at 7:33 pm
What’s the music scene like in Perth? How difficult would it be for a US citizen born in Canada to move there?
Seriously. I’m not kidding.
January 29, 2008, 8:02 pm at 8:02 pm
Wouldn’t be a problem Angus. And money wouldn’t be a problem for you.
January 29, 2008, 8:09 pm at 8:09 pm
It’s becoming easier and easier to come over as a skilled migrant, Angus, and these days “skilled” for Western Australia takes in everything from engineers to police officers to teachers to hair-dressers and taxi drivers (I am not kidding.) So many people have buggered off to the mines and oilfields, where an unskilled labourer can pick up up to $100,000/year, that we’ve got a shortage of just about everything. We heavily recruit English-speakers from England, Canada, South Africa, the Philippines and recently we’ve been recruiting in Poland. I’ll email you some details privately.
As for the music scene, you ask that of someone who just linked to a bad 80’s Devo clip? 🙂 Seriously, though, what type of music do you play? I’ll ask around for you.
January 29, 2008, 8:14 pm at 8:14 pm
Angus
With Kevni in charge, shouldn’t be a problem, as Ash just indicated. Oh and Spot, as well.
In fact, I’m thinking the same damn thing. So ummmm, do you want to be the Sheik or the Imam?
Let me know, that way I can be prepared for the one you do not choose. Lemme see now, robe…check, sandals…check, mumbling…always do…Well by fuck, all I need to do is, grow my beard.
January 29, 2008, 8:18 pm at 8:18 pm
Here’s the “Migration WA” government site, and here’s a government site on different paths to migration to WA with lots of links to relevant external sites. I didn’t think to ask how old you are; it’s a lot easier if you’re under age 45…
January 29, 2008, 9:02 pm at 9:02 pm
Well, for shit sakes (excuse me for barging in) UNDER 45…Tiz age discrimination..BUT it is your country..They makes da’ rules…on top of the table or under it.
January 29, 2008, 9:20 pm at 9:20 pm
If you can operate ANY heavy equipment, dozers, trucks, semis etc, you will walk into work.
OH&S personnel are sought after as well, as are most proffesional types. A very good wage can be earned as (Ive done it myself a few years back) a kitchenhand or breakfast cook on any minesite.
If you are looking at rig work (oil) you will be well advised to get HALO(?) training (escape from a helicopter) cleaners on those things rake in 100,000 per year. (hard to get into though).
A more realistic wage for a new statrter (using our basic truck trainees wage) is only around 60,000 but within 6 months to a tear would be back up around 70,000+.
If you can drive one of these suckers
You will be on a base wage of about 120,000 plus bonus if you exceed the meterage target.
If this doesnt seen a huge amount, the work is week on week off!
A lot of sites do the much more common 2 weeks on 1 off. (with the wages higher for more hours of course).
Heres my mob
http://www.sallymalay.com/projects/lanfranchi/default.asp
January 29, 2008, 9:32 pm at 9:32 pm
Thanks for that, Mole! Just thinking about a job we recently advertised & filled, Warehousemen get paid well too, around $85,000 for the job I’m thinking of for a 14/14 (2-week-on, 2-week-off) fly-in, fly-out roster.
And HALO would be fun (!) but it’s HUET: Helicopter Underwater Evacuation Training. The company will pay for it if you need it, or you can be pre-emptive and get certed before you go around applying – there’s a mob down in Freo who does the certification courses. They used to do it out in the ocean, but now it’s done in a pool 😉
January 29, 2008, 9:39 pm at 9:39 pm
8. Aaah thats the right one not HALO!
January 29, 2008, 9:43 pm at 9:43 pm
HALO would be fun, but!
January 29, 2008, 10:22 pm at 10:22 pm
And as we saw from the America”s Cup a couple of decades back places like Freemantle don’t need any more “doctors”.
You’d be doing a lot better if you could at least hold onto your baseball players! The University of New Mexico has a kid from Gosnells, a graduate of South Freemantle High School.
January 29, 2008, 10:51 pm at 10:51 pm
Well, I’m not under 45, so I guess I’ll have to marry in.
Spot, set me up with a nice Sheila… under 30. LOL!
January 29, 2008, 11:42 pm at 11:42 pm
#12, So you want I should send you some URL links to local WA “Personals” and “Lonely Hearts” ads, Angus? 😉
#11, If a Sandgroper has Baseball talents, there’s no place for them here – it’s just not a big sport. No-one “gets” it. So more luck to the bloke; and New Mexico is sort of a similar climate, too. We do import a lot of 2nd and 3rd tier Seppo basketballers!
Funny you should mention the Freo Doctor – it’s about 90 degrees here right now, I’m out the back, and the Doctor just came in. Aye, it’s good for what ails ye, all right. All I’d need for a perfect arvo is a cold beer or three…