social impacts of mining in australia

5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. 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. ABSTRACT. In this area, the cluster has focused on understanding how mining technologies impact on those who work and live around them. 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. Mining activities in Australia tend to be cyclical, with boom and bust times impacting upon associated communities. 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. 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. 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. This research cluster represents an investment of around $3 million dollars over three years, with work due to conclude in June 2012. 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. These processes also have an impact on the atmosphere from the emissions of … 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. 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. Indirect impacts include road-building and pipeline development, which may result in habitat fragmentation and increased access to remote areas. 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. 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. reduce water and energy use), improve the cost-efficiency of mining, and improve the safety of industry workers. Smarter Approaches to Mining There is also the reality that mineral resources will be exhausted or their extraction will cease to be economically viable, and when this happens communities need to have the capacity to reinvent themselves if they are to maintain their viability into the future. There may also be alternative sources for the commodities that we value and opportunities for new and creative mining business models. Air quality is adversely affected by mining operations. Wind erosion and nearby vehicular traffic cause such materials to become airborne. Mankind started mining for precious metals between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. The mining industry in Australia features in much of the public discussion about our current and future prosperity. 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. When resources are located where other industries (or populations) are already well established, there is real potential for land use conflicts to emerge. 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. It has the ability to drive environmental efficiencies (e.g. What is the future of mining in Australia, and can it be more sustainable? 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. Mining was considered to deliver positive benefits to regional and Indigenous communities. These themes discuss the breadth of findings and critical knowledge gaps of existing research. Restore content access for purchases made as guest. Social and economic impact assessment is an important component of environmental planning and project approvals processes in Australia. Get it right, and we set the nation up for decades to come.”. 48 hours to view or download: 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. Comes to town, and studies have identified how mining developments can affect nearby and... 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