jobs on the mines

[Guest robbiegerrard]

Coul anyone please help. Im moving over to Australia next year. Ive been told that a family friend can get me a job on the mines. He has told me that if i wanted to work away, ie fly in and fly out i can earn $200.000 a year. This seems like a massive wage to me, i dont know if its because im used to not earning much but i just cant get my head around earning this sort of money. Would anyone please be able to set me straight on weather or not i will be able to earn this sort of money if i fly in and fly out to the mines driving the dump trucks and operating the big super shovels. Any info would be great:v_SPIN:

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hello Robbie

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

I was in the Chat room yesterday chatting with a lady who lives in the Wheatbelt region of West Australia.

 

She and I got chatting about the mines. She said she knows a youngster (child of a friend) who is earning around $100K a year as a Haul Pack driver in one of the mines of WA. I live in the UK: what is a Haul Pack? One of those giant dumper trucks, apparently. The lady said she had been told that the skip part alone can carry a load of 250 tonnes. I have been told that the machine is as heavy as a 747.

 

My sister Elaine has lived in Perth for nearly 30 years. Chatting with Elaine on the phone a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had heard about a British girl (a Working Holiday maker) who is allegedly earning $94,000 a year in the mines in the North of WA, working as a cook.

 

Elaine said that it does not work out at $94K because the staff do a 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off rotation. She said that the cook would be treated as casual staff and would therefore only get paid if she is actually at the mine or wherever the accommodation camp for it is. She said that the girl would typically be on a FIFO (fly in, fly out) and whoever has hired her would pay for the flights to and from Perth.

 

I mentioned this to the lady yesterday. She said that yes, the cook would be treated as a casual worker. However, it costs money to train someone to drive a Haul Pack machine and apparently whoever hires the Haul Pack drivers (a sub contractor, I would guess) would keep a Haul Pack driver on the permanent payroll.

 

It is all second hand info but my sister never comments if she is not sure. The lady yesterday sounded sure too.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest robbiegerrard]

Hey Gill thanks for that info, its quite hard trying to get a hold of any info when your in the uk. Ive tried to email companys with regards to possible employment but never get any where. I guess if your on a proper payroll then you may be able to earn that sort of money. Thanks for the info once again:spinny:

[Guest barnsleydave]

Robbie

 

I work in the mines in Queensland as a Mining Engineer and I can assure you that a FIFO role for a truck driver that pays $200,000 does not exist!

 

Over here in Queensland truck drivers will earn circa $100,000 for an even time rosta, but you cant expct a FIFO role - most of our drivers drive in from Mackay.

 

To get a job in the mines you generally need the right certificates and qualifications - if you don't have them you are reliant on someone training you or else you could get a non-driving job (admin, security etc) as a way in.

 

Hope this helps

[Guest johnmayer]

Hey Gill thanks for that info, its quite hard trying to get a hold of any info when your in the uk. Ive tried to email companys with regards to possible employment but never get any where. I guess if your on a proper payroll then you may be able to earn that sort of money. thanks for information

[Guest christel]

Hiya

Working on the Mines here is a difficult one..it may all seem easy but firstly, mines wish to see that you have a safe working ticket..they probably wont even look at you before you get this under your belt. Companies run these in cities that have mines around their state/territory. These are an expectation of the mine employing you. This Safe Working Certificate is a must for any job in mines. Senior Personnel would be put through this by the company i.e. highly skilled people. To drive Haul Packs you must have held a HGV for a period of 2 years. HGV is not really used here as there are number of truck combinations and you would probably have to resit your test here. Trucks have, one trailer, two trailer and then three, or one trailer and a dog (half trailer). These combinations have to be reversed which is why they probably want you to resit your test. Mine sites have four trailers which are not allowed on roads. One and two trailers are allowed through towns, three trailers - one has to be off loaded outside cities/large town. Working in mines vary they do prefer locals which means you have to live in an area where prices could be very high, and that includes rentals, they have fly in fly out, but that is for single people who then live on company sites in one room in whats called a donga, shared shower blocks, the more senior you get the better accomodation you get, senior personnel with families can get mine houses. All mine jobs are probably 12 hour shifts, 12 on 12 off over 2 or three weeks so thats 15 or 21 days on and then a week off, there are no weekends in mines, no public holidays etc. so although the salary does sound ok..pro rata and life style may not be so compared to a 9 - 5 job..again the more senior the role the better the pay. Hope this helps. x

[RVN]

Hi all..my OH is a vehicle mechanic and is keen to go into the mines when we arrive in oz in feb 09. Can any one recommend any agents he can go through. He is more than happy doing a FIFO or work away for a period of time. We are moving to the Illawarra in NSW. The other thing is how does one get on the ladder...as most of the adverts we have seen for work in the mines require minimum 1-2 year experience. but clearly you would have to start somewhere???

[Guest claire&fred]

Your best bet is to contact the mining companies direct. BHP Billiton is a big one as is Rio Tinto, these are the 2 biggest (rumours were that they were merging). Try not to go through the Recruitment Agencies, they are run badly and you never really get to speak to the right person. My OH has an Excavator ticket but with every Excavator Operator job he has seen or rang about they ALL asked for at least 2 years experience. If you look on the above Company websites they will have Career sections, click on them and see what they come up with. My OH has now got a job in Field Exploration which is when you got out looking for the minerals. He is doing a 2 week on 1 week off rota but will be working 11 hour days right through. The money is very good but so it should be doing those kind of hours. He got that job ringing up actual companies and asking if they had any field assistant positions available. Also take a look at www.seek.com.au or www.jobsearch.com.au or try www.infomine.com.

 

Claire

[Guest christel]

Hi, its imporant as I said before to get a Safe Working ticket, lots of the agencies that he might go to will be looking to see if hes got that, also probably a first aid certificate too woul dbe good..just google mine sites in each state and go from there x

[Guest claire&fred]

Hi, its imporant as I said before to get a Safe Working ticket, lots of the agencies that he might go to will be looking to see if hes got that, also probably a first aid certificate too woul dbe good..just google mine sites in each state and go from there x

 

 

Yup, good point. My OH applied for a Blue Card which you can do online. It is like a multiple choice test, takes a while but worth it. OH also doing a Senior First Aid course at the moment. It is a 2 days one. He needs this for the job he is about to start.

 

Claire

[Guest christel]

Hi, I should have put this, but you need whats called a MARCSTA certificate for all mine operations/operators. www.marcsta.com.au this is an ancroynm for Mining and Resource Contractors Safety Training Association. They run registers on all workers that are at mines, so that the mines, agents, contact companies log on and see if you have done the relevant courses, hope this helps more. x

[Guest earlswood]

Aussie's HGV drives are all trying to get into the mines themselves as the money is better than road hauling, I have been told it's "dead man's shoes" to get in and thir is a big waiting list....plus you need a licence to drive these monsters which is differen to the HGV 1 back home.

[keily]

HI robbie

you dont say in your post if ur in this kind of work overhere in uk / ie excavator operator . dump truck driver

if so what kind of experience do u have ie how many years

most mining companies in ozz will not take u on unless u have atleast 2 yrs experience in driving your chossen machine

if u have a currnet uk cpcs . or citb licence you will have to resitt for the ozzzie one

blue cards / macstra saftey certs and uk work refrences , are also essential

it is possible to earn $100.000 per year fly in fly out usually 2 weeks on 1week off

a good site for info is www.infomine.com.au

some employers do sponser people in to work in the mines but u have to live and work in rural australia ie they dont fly in or out u have to live on site ,

try lookin on www.extraman.com.au

if u need any more info give me a shout hope this helps

cheers keily

[Eera]

Don't even think about it at the moment. All major miners have gone on a recruitment shut-down for at least a year, unskilled operators are the first to go, and frankly, here in Mackay every other person is trying to get work as a truck driver in the mines and none of them are succeeding.

 

And, it is the world's most boring job, believe me, I've done it.

 

It's actually a complete waste of time applying directly to the mines unless they're actually advertising; they use screening agents so anything you send to Rio Tinto doesn't go to Rio Tinto but to some dweeb in Brisbane who will receive your email and sling it in the bin.

 

Sorry to be negative, but I'm a consultant to the mining industry and I see so many applications for non-existant jobs from people who have jacked in their lives for a pipedream. I know people who have 300 hours on haul trucks, front-end loaders and even draglines who are working in Woolworths right now.

[Guest earlswood]

Don't even think about it at the moment. All major miners have gone on a recruitment shut-down for at least a year, unskilled operators are the first to go, and frankly, here in Mackay every other person is trying to get work as a truck driver in the mines and none of them are succeeding.

 

And, it is the world's most boring job, believe me, I've done it.

 

It's actually a complete waste of time applying directly to the mines unless they're actually advertising; they use screening agents so anything you send to Rio Tinto doesn't go to Rio Tinto but to some dweeb in Brisbane who will receive your email and sling it in the bin.

 

Sorry to be negative, but I'm a consultant to the mining industry and I see so many applications for non-existant jobs from people who have jacked in their lives for a pipedream. I know people who have 300 hours on haul trucks, front-end loaders and even draglines who are working in Woolworths right now.

 

Nice to see a bit of realism.

[ottg]

Your best bet is to contact the mining companies direct. BHP Billiton is a big one as is Rio Tinto, these are the 2 biggest (rumours were that they were merging). Try not to go through the Recruitment Agencies, they are run badly and you never really get to speak to the right person. My OH has an Excavator ticket but with every Excavator Operator job he has seen or rang about they ALL asked for at least 2 years experience. If you look on the above Company websites they will have Career sections, click on them and see what they come up with. My OH has now got a job in Field Exploration which is when you got out looking for the minerals. He is doing a 2 week on 1 week off rota but will be working 11 hour days right through. The money is very good but so it should be doing those kind of hours. He got that job ringing up actual companies and asking if they had any field assistant positions available. Also take a look at www.seek.com.au or www.jobsearch.com.au or try www.infomine.com.

 

 

Claire

 

Just been in infomine. What a great informative site. Thanks!!

[Mongrel]

RIo tinto are sheddind umpteen thousand jobs, like the consultant sAYS dont think about it I am a storeman in a steel warehouse , we supply the engineering companies who service the mine sites and the feedback from the customers is they are unsure of orders. I am crapping bricks and I am not in the front line

 

Mally

PIO Turnip

[Guest Bianca]

hi, what about jobs for mech fitters on the mines in WA? Pump fitting, general maintenance engineering, and mech work? I have 16 years experience (6 in food/packaging industry) and the other in heavy plant (power plant) and excavating engieering.

I am hoping to go to WA, dont mind FIFO.... is the situation very bad to find a job for me too ...??

[Mongrel]

hi, what about jobs for mech fitters on the mines in WA? Pump fitting, general maintenance engineering, and mech work? I have 16 years experience (6 in food/packaging industry) and the other in heavy plant (power plant) and excavating engieering.

I am hoping to go to WA, dont mind FIFO.... is the situation very bad to find a job for me too ...??

 

WA is fifo did you think different rio tinto are layig off but that mite be 1 firm need loads of fitters try seek.com or others

 

Mally

 

PIO

Turnip

[Guest fatpom]

RIo tinto are sheddind umpteen thousand jobs, like the consultant sAYS dont think about it I am a storeman in a steel warehouse , we supply the engineering companies who service the mine sites and the feedback from the customers is they are unsure of orders. I am crapping bricks and I am not in the front line

Mally

PIO Turnip

 

I agree with that. We can now negotiate steel prices for the first time in a long while. Like the world it won't end but things will slow as China demands (a bit) less.

[ottg]

I have just received a list of jobs available at Barrics.

Hope it helps someone!