Mining Industry in Australia Essay

What effect if any, did the gold rush have on the social, political and cultural development of Australia as a nation?

Commodities account for 57% of the value of total exports, so that a downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased exports

The gold rush was the turning point of Australia’s history thanks to Edward Hargraves he discovered gold in New South Wales in April 1851 and soon the gold rush kicked off. Clear evidence has been provided on how Edward Hargraves started the gold rush started, Information on how push and pull factors influenced people to the gold fields. Stories have been recounted on how life during the gold rush was like in the gold fields. Information on how many numbers of migrants came and where they came and what transportation was used

The Kalgoorlie Mine, also known as the Super Pit due to its distinctive depth of 600m ( Figure 1.), is a mine situated in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia that primarily extracts gold. Often considered to be the largest open-cut mine in the nation, Kalgoorlie produces a tremendous 22 000 kilograms of gold each year. The gold rush that struck Australia during 1851-1914 was primarily a result of the discovery of many mining sites like the Kalgoorlie gold mine. The finding of the Kalgoorlie mine by Paddy Hannan, Thoman Flanagan and Daniel Sheal attracted several thousands of other prospectors (mineral explorers) and created a “ rush” to whoever would quickly become prosperous from mining gold at Kalgoorlie. As such,

Export dominated by mining sector with 40 % valued, followed by manufacture, construction and agriculture, forestry and fishing (REMPLAN 2015).

Gold is thirty-six percent of all Tanzania’s exports and twenty-six percent of all of Papua New Guinea, and Ghana (World Gold Council website, 2015).

This report single-mindedly analyses on the function of mining in society, in addition to its social, environmental and economic impacts. In Australia the indigenous communities claim to their ancestral land recognised under the Native Titles Act which establishes channels of negotiation with mining companies before carrying they are able operations. The environmental toll of mines and the part it plays in designing the mine’s waste management systems and plant designs is also analysed. Finally the case study of Anvil Hill Coal mine, and the Argyle Diamond Mine are all conducted in this report, accompanied by recommendation for improvement.

Mining has been a driving force for much of the exploration of Australia's remote inland and for Australia's industrial development, from the gold rushes of the 19th Century, through the iron ore and nickel booms of the 1960s, through the later growth of the coal industry, and to the current booming demand for minerals to fuel the industrial growth of much of the rest of the world. Australia has benefited greatly from the current resources boom, reflected in high rates of economic growth, record low levels of unemployment and increasing incomes for Australians. However, Australia’s world economic ranking has significantly decreased from 5th in 2001-02, to 22nd in 2014-15. (See appendix 10) This drop in world economic ranking may not entirely

Mining is a huge industry which serves great importance to the world as it produces billions of tons of raw product each year. Mining had a vast impact on the early history on New South Wales, providing a surge in wealth, jobs and resources. The first discovery of coal in Australia was in the Newcastle region of NSW in 1791 by escaped convicts. Coal is a black flammable mineral containing carbonized vegetable matter, which is used as a source of fuel and energy across the globe. By the 1830s, the coal industry had become established in New South Wales, sparking rapid growth creating Australia’s first industrial town- Newcastle. As the population in NSW began to rise mineral resources in particularly coal, through mining needed to be utilized

Almost all of Australia's silver (lead-zinc and/or copper) mines are highly mechanised, underground operations. Ore is drilled and blasted in large volumes and transferred to underground rock crushers by large loaders and trucks. The crushed ore is then hoisted to the surface in skips or driven directly to the surface by truck via a spiral access tunnel (decline).

To what extent should there be limitation on the mining of uranium in Australia ?

There are three major economic factors that have combined contribution to FMG’s growth over the past 5 years, including the strong AUD , the amazing export feature due to the Chinese boom which drives up the commodity price and the interest rate decision by RBA. Australia dollar has appeared strong for the past 5 years and maintained at $6-$6.8 level for AUD/CNY at most time. It promised a high level of foreign income for Australia exporter. In 2009, China demanded almost 60% of the world’s iron ore to produce 47% of world’s steel production. It contributes the most to the price rocket from $31.78 to $180.6 US cents/mts in 5 years time. In addition, Australia borrowing cost remains high over the past few years which may alter the finance decisions of FMG.

Coal, a mineral I have discussed previously, is necessary to our everyday lives. Coal is an incredible source of energy; it heats our houses and buildings, and also fuels stoves. You may often wonder where this extremely useful mineral comes from. Coal does not just appear; it needs to be mined through a process which results in our being able to utilize it. Coal mining is fairly inexpensive, is carried out on a large scale and can be mined in either underground or surface mines.

Uranium is a common naturally occurring radioactive element in the earth's crust. It was initially used to coloring glass or ceramic glaze (M. Eisenbud & T. Gesell 1963: 319), whereas it became the nuclear fuel used in nuclear reactors and atomic bomb until 1939 when O. Hahn and F. Strassmann discovered the nuclear fission of uranium, and its released tremendous energy can be used for generate electricity or as a weapon. Even there occurred such a speech, 'who owns the uranium could be the world' (T. Zoellner 2009). Therefore, the world has entered a uranium mining boom. Meantime, it also has given rise to people's discussions whether the uranium mining should be on a large scale without restrictions. Some people believe that uranium

ICMM (International Council on mining and metals) has conducted ten case studies of “mining countries” and with better methodology to have better understanding and assessment, they found out that mining may contribute to national economies. According to (ICMM, 2010) mining may help to reduce poverty and indirectly induce employment. From mining too, it helps to increase government revenue to help increase development of the country.