social impacts of mining in australia

There are however some social negative impacts associated with mining including violence, child labour, escalation of gender inequalities, health and environmental effects including deforestation and pollution. While the economic impacts of mining have been thoroughly explored and social impacts recently have received growing attention, increasingly, mining developments are being required to consider how they affect local communities and implement strategies to minimise negative impacts they may be causing. Some of the key challenges that have emerged for mining regions are the increasingly high cost and shortage of housing, the impact of “fly in and fly out” (FIFO) or “drive in and drive out” (DIDO) workforces, and a significant gap in the wages paid to mining staff and those who work locally in service industries. Waste rock generated by mining has increased for most commodities over time in Australia. After all, every Australian presumably has the right to spend their earnings wherever they please. Ore grade has decreased over time across most commodities in Australia. Some of the key challenges that have emerged for mining regions are the increasingly high cost and shortage of housing, the impact of “fly in and fly out” (FIFO) or “drive in and drive out” (DIDO) workforces, and a significant gap in the wages paid to mining staff and those who work locally in service industries. Mining was considered to deliver positive benefits to regional and Indigenous communities. Cultural and Social Impacts of Gold From the first nugget found in a Bathurst Creek to the 370,000 immigrants who arrived in Australian during 1852, every step of the gold rush changed this nation. Restore content access for purchases made as guest. While the amount of material exported has increased during this period, so has the value of the commodities being extracted. More and more, however, society is asking: “But at what cost?” Those with reservations about mining point to the environmental impacts of extracting and using non-renewable resources like coal, the economic distortion that results from one part of the economy booming while other parts languish (i.e. Personal Alerts to Give Retailers Competitive Edge. Adapted from Mudd, G.M., 2009, The Sustainability of Mining in Australia: Key Production Trends and Their Environmental Implications for the Future. Adani's proposed mine in Queensland has long been a lightning rod for division over coal-mining and climate change in Australia. Oxfarm Australia recently said that mining can impact local communities both positively and negatively. Women often experience the negative impacts of mining more than men, and rarely receive the benefits that men do. The concept of social sustainability is the primarily focus used to examine and interpret the consequences from contemporary mining operations. These themes discuss the breadth of findings and critical knowledge gaps of existing research. The role of technology is central in defining and realising a sustainable future for the minerals and mining industry in Australia. Figure 2. Led by researchers at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney, Vision 2040 aims to provide a clear view of what governments, communities and the industry would need to do to have mining and mineral production contribute positively to a sustainable Australia in 2040. While the economic impacts of mining have been thoroughly explored and social impacts recently have received growing attention, increasingly, mining developments are being required to consider how they affect local communities and implement strategies to minimise negative impacts they … Ore dust and gases released by the mining process are bad for the health of miners as well as the environment. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. 3. Get it wrong, and we falter. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. Mankind started mining for precious metals between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. As advocates for the mining industry point out, the materials that mining produces are central to almost everything that our society uses and values: • coal is essential to our current electricity generation models; • metals are used to make the smart phones, computers and televisions we use every day; and. SOCIAL IMPACT The modes of mining and the lack of regulation of waste management are among the main causes of the problems of mining at social level. One of the clear messages that has emerged thus far is the idea that Australia needs to develop a national minerals policy supported by a comprehensive set of mineral accounts that provides some transparency about resource stocks (both above and below the ground), along with some detailed analysis of the impacts of mining activities. Land use-related impacts and environmental impacts affecting human health and human rights appear to be the most concerning social aspects in the mining sector. We don’t currently take a national approach to managing this issue so we don’t really have a complete picture of exactly who is benefiting and who is bearing the costs of mining, or to what extent this is occurring. The adverse impacts of COVID-19 were not isolated to Australian businesses and the economy. We need to get smarter and more creative in how we approach the business of mining, and what we export to the world. In some ways, this is about managing the risks associated with technologies – a poorly chosen or unsuitable technology can lead to considerable damage to the public, individual industries, specific mining processes and companies, mine employees and the environment. While larger intact forest ecosystems may withstand the impacts of mining and oil development, These pollutants can damage the health of people living near the minin… In this area, the cluster has focused on understanding how mining technologies impact on those who work and live around them. The bulk of the studies focus on the pressure generated by mining on service provision, The cluster brings together researchers from five Australian universities and CSIRO to collaboratively explore large and complex future sustainability issues in the minerals industry across regional, national and global scales. Ensuring that we “get it right” means thinking about mining in new ways to deliver benefit for more Australians and reduce the negative impacts of the industry. 48 hours to view or download: 2. As our Prime Minister, the Honourable Julia Gillard, has said: “The future is in our hands, and it will be defined by the way we handle the current minerals boom. As Dr Damien Gircuo of the Institute of Sustainable Futures points out in a recent article in Dialogue, Australia is already a leader in services to mining, such as the development of software and automation technology. One way this has been addressed is through the Western Australian Government’s Royalties for Regions agreement. The analysis of the social impacts of mining is not a new area of academic interest and the Australian booming resource sector influenced a significant research interest in recent years. Due to the close relationship between the industry’s social licence to operate and technology, the cluster’s research has identified an opportunity to address future social challenges within the design stage of technology development using a method known as Social Licence in Design, as described by UQ researcher Dr Daniel Franks. Get it right, and we set the nation up for decades to come.”. Research is limited, but growing, and studies have identified how mining developments can affect nearby communities and town residents. Studying the rural community of Boddington in south-west Australia, the research links the concepts of social impacts and social … This increase in the amount of mining conducted in Australia, and the value it has for mining companies and the government, has been driven by enormous global demand for commodities like iron ore and coal to fuel industrialisation and urbanisation, and to support population growth around the world. Social or environmental harm may lead to tangible and intangible costs to industry including reputational loss, costly retro-fitting and even the closure of an operation due to a loss of social licence. Impacts can result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes. This only underscores the fact that our desire for precious metals and minerals has grown exponentially since we first started digging through the topsoil … To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. Article Purchase Research Report No. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) states that in the year to March 2011 the value of mining exports was $155 billion and represented 52.8% of the value of total exports from this country, with the bulk of that being contributed by iron ore and coal. However, automation implies that some jobs currently based in mining regions will be lost to higher skilled positions located in capital cities and regional centres. 30 days to view or download: Mining activities in Australia tend to be cyclical, with boom and bust times impacting upon associated communities. Figure 1. 4. 3. Businesses in the mining industry were least affected (38%) by reduced demand for goods and services, and only 17% of businesses (second lowest among all industries) had registered or intended to register for the JobKeeper Payment. This research cluster represents an investment of around $3 million dollars over three years, with work due to conclude in June 2012. Led by colleagues at the University of Queensland (UQ), the cluster’s research in this area has found that the success of technologies is no longer only about their technical efficiency but also their acceptability to the Australian public. By asking residents what would make their town more or less “liveable” if coal mining expanded in the region, they found that residents thought increasing the number of workcamps separate to the community would make Moranbah a much less attractive place to live. One of the key outputs of the cluster’s research is the strategy “Vision 2040: Mining, Minerals and Innovation”, which outlines a vision for Australia’s mineral future. When resources are located where other industries (or populations) are already well established, there is real potential for land use conflicts to emerge. Communities that are singularly reliant on resource development can find themselves at risk when that industry faces a downturn or needs to move on. As the Mirrar have pointed out, the development of mines in the area brings increased presence and pressure by non-Aboriginal cultural practices, institutions, and economic values, entrenching the dominance of non-Aboriginal … impact arising from uranium mining in Australia using the Ranger and Jabiluka mines as a case study. For the last century, mining has been one of our planet’s largest industries (it generated 683 billion dollars in revenue in 2018 alone).. It also raises the question of where some of that wealth being generated by the mining boom ends up being invested. Yet technology that is poorly designed or inadequately thought through has the potential to create unintended consequences for the environment, reduce the number of jobs available to local community members, and change the way mining and society relate to each other. USD 543.00 While the EIS process remains important for the assessment of new projects, it does not cover all the economic and social impacts of mining on regional communities. Other mining companies have indicated that they too have plans to roll out autonomous haul truck fleets and underground loaders. For example, with declining ore grades (Fig. 3099067 The key direct impact of mining on forest ecosystems is the removal of vegetation and canopy cover. The mining industry forms an important pillar of the global economy. Australia is a major supplier of mineral resources globally and, as a major export industry, mining brings significant financial benefits to the nation. USD 45.00 Our works shows that: 1. women aren’t consulted when companies negotiate access to land, compensation or benefits 2. when mining damages the environment, it undermines women’s ability to provide food and clea… In many cases, that money travels back to capital cities rather than being spent locally. Successful technologies will be those that not only solve technical problems but also meet the needs of decision-makers, local communities and the broader Australian public. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), mining industry revenue increased from around 6 per cent of GDP in 2000 to 14 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade, an average annual growth rate of almost 15 per cent (Table 6). Registered in England & Wales No. 1). If you believe industry propaganda, coal mining is a panacea not only for economic ills but also for smoothing troubled social waters.But a lack of local evidence about the health impact … In turn, if the Australian government was genuinely interested in the job security of those working in and around Australia's coal mines, the last thing it … To gain access to all content online and receive your print copy in the mail you need to Subscribe. At the same time, the mining industry is facing decreasing productivity as a result of declining ore grades and ore bodies that are increasingly remote and difficult to access. There may also be alternative sources for the commodities that we value and opportunities for new and creative mining business models. There are impacts resulting from the end-use of uranium in energy and weapons production involving risks of radioactive leaks, emissions, melt downs, and nuclear detonations at great risk to the environment and public health. The Rum Jungle mine is a stand-out example of a poorly regulated mining operation leading to legacy environmental impacts that are difficult and costly to remediate. This in particular creates inequities in communities and is often described as the “two-speed economy”. Add to cart. This article conducted a critical literature review that synthesises contemporary Australian research on the social impacts of mining on local communities. But how do we compensate those communities that bear most of the costs of living alongside mining activities? Benefits from income and employment are, instead, the main positive impacts identified in … Communities in mining regions have been vocal about the need to see some of the benefits of living in Australia’s mining towns. Wind erosion and nearby vehicular traffic cause such materials to become airborne. Currently we are seeing this played out across Australia where land uses such as mining, agriculture and tourism among others are attempting to coexist in the landscape. Inform your opinion on scientific issues. These processes also have an impact on the atmosphere from the emissions of … For example, autonomous and remote operation technologies are set to transform the Australian mining industry. ABSTRACT. This process has created controversy in Australia and other places where it is used for coal seam gas resources, much of which is based on little or incomplete information about the process, its impacts and the risks to people and the environment. We use cookies to improve your website experience. The mining industry forms an important pillar of the global economy. 2) it may be more economical in the future to recycle and recover materials from products at the end of their life cycle than dig them out of the ground. Under this scheme the state government promised to distribute 25% of Western Australia’s mining and onshore petroleum royalties to the state’s regional areas each year as an additional investment in projects, infrastructure and community services. What Happens When Mining Comes to Town? In this section, the focus will be on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Our work shows that the impacts of mining are not gender neutral. In an article in Resources Policy, Dr Galina Ivanova and Professor John Rolfe from CQU explored what mining communities want, using the town of Moranbah in Queensland as a case study. – The coal mining industry makes a key contribution to the Queensland economy, and is the underlying driver of employment and economic conditions in many local and regional communities. Estimated expenditure through the Royalties for Regions fund from 2008–09 to 2014–15 is $6.1 billion, with $1.2 billion allocated to 2011–12. RR5, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University and Mineral Policy Institute. Led by colleagues at Curtin University, Central Queensland University (CQU) and the Australian National University (ANU), the cluster has focused on developing an understanding of the resource development cycle and how this impacts on communities. What is the future of mining in Australia, and can it be more sustainable? • the use of diamonds in jewellery remains a near-universal symbol of wealth and prestige. Automation sounds like a good way of addressing current labour shortages in the mining industry, especially as mining operations continue to expand across Australia. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS . One focus of the cluster’s work has been the direct impacts of the extractive industries on local communities in mining regions around Australia, and how those regions transition through various stages of mining activity. In Australia, land use conflict, near-neighbour impacts, mine closure and rehabilitation are contributing to higher social costs associated with mining (Brereton and Forbes, 2004, Brereton et al., 2008, Franks, 2009, Franks et al., 2009). Although SIA is usually applied to planned interventions, the same techniques can be used to evaluate the social impact of unplanned events, for example, disasters, demographic change, and epidemics.SIA is important in applied … So, what happens when mining comes to town, and what happens when it leaves? The main perceived benefit of mining was the creation of jobs. 4.2 Direct Effects of the Mining Industry on the National Economy . Lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other toxic elements are often present in such particles. The proportion of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP: the value of all final goods and services produced by Australia during a specific period) made up by mining has grown significantly from around 4% in 2004 to around 9% today. The demand for mineral resources is likely to stay high for the foreseeable future so finding more sustainable ways for the industry to operate in Australia is important. Social impacts of mining at a local community level and the role of CSR for long-term sustainability. Social impact assessment (SIA) is a methodology to review the social effects of infrastructure projects and other development interventions. This is particularly due to acid-rock drainage processes, not unique to uranium mining, Air quality is adversely affected by mining operations. It has the ability to drive environmental efficiencies (e.g. The mining industry in Australia is significant in both scope and size, and it’s still growing. Add to cart, Issue Purchase Indirect impacts include road-building and pipeline development, which may result in habitat fragmentation and increased access to remote areas. Further, Franks suggests that technological change may also induce social and economic change such as shifts in employment and skills requirements, or economic returns to communities that may not necessarily lead to social conflict but nonetheless have serious impacts on those communities. This is particularly the case in China, which has seen incredible development since the 1990s and is Australia’s second largest export destination behind Japan. Iron ore, which is used primarily to make steel for construction, has increased from around A$25 per metric tonne in 2004 to over A$140 per metric tonne today. share of population participating in voluntary work for a group or an organisation within the community (35%) in comparison to other Western Australian (WA) mining communities (25% average for the State). That can either be produced from 10,000 kg of gold ore or 10 kg of mobile telephones. reduce water and energy use), improve the cost-efficiency of mining, and improve the safety of industry workers. This design process attempts to reduce social hazards or minimise potential social risk by involving designers and decision-makers in considering the likely impacts (anticipated and unanticipated) of technologies once deployed, and how these may be communicated to the public more effectively. By incorporating community views on how long-term benefit can be best derived from Australia’s mineral endowment, there is real opportunity here to make the Australian public central to the decisions that are being made about this issue and the future they wish to see for their country. Adapted from Mudd, G.M., 2010, The Environmental sustainability of mining in Australia: Key mega-trends and looming constraints. In an effort to maximise the positive benefits and minimise the negative impacts of mining, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has been exploring the future sustainability of the Australian mining industry through the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster. Instead of being an asset and allowing the development, mines often become an obstacle for the countries concerned. At the same time, there is increasing community interest and pressure on government and industry to ensure that these resources are being managed for the benefit of all Australians. Environmental impacts of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and indirect mining practices. a “two-speed economy”), and the risks to communities that live near large or multiple mining projects as strong reasons why mining should be curtailed or even stopped. While the economic impacts of mining have been thoroughly explored and social impacts recently have received growing attention, increasingly, mining developments are being required to consider how they affect local communities and implement strategies to minimise negative impacts … The mining industry forms an important pillar of the global economy. While the economic value of mining often outweighs other land use options, this masks the much more complex socio-economic impacts of restructuring communities in this way. Unrefined materials are released when mineral deposits are exposed on the surface through mining. More often than not, when a transient workforce is involved they are unlikely to be spending their income in the regions where the minerals are being extracted. Over time, exposure to the dust created by mining operations can lead to disease and buildup of scar tissue in the lungs. Although we are in no danger of physically running out of minerals any time soon, we do need to address the fact that continued production and declining resource quality create technological, environmental and social challenges. Outcomes of the RUEI The RUEI paid special attention to social impact issues and proposed a range of measures to address this, including the establishment of a joint managed National Park to act as a social impact 'buffer' — ensuring space between new residents, tourists and local indigenous people. This choice has been made because two defining characteristics of the region highlight the significance of both environmental and social issues at Ranger and Jabiluka. It identified 68 studies organised into seven themes: adverse impacts of increasing non-resident workforces; pressures on infrastructure, housing and services; income inequality; poor child development and education outcomes; pressures on families and relationships; drug and alcohol abuse; and impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. These technologies will instigate a change in the nature of employment in the mining sector and, as a result, the way in which mines interact with the communities in which they operate. The presence of mining in a landscape can completely transform not only land use but also the infrastructure and labour force of a region – in some cases to the detriment of the more traditional or well established sources of economic production. And substantially transformed by mining operations studies have identified how mining technologies impact on who. ( ASM ), the environmental sustainability of mining can occur at local regional. 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