Galilee Basin Mine Jobs – What are the facts?

GVK say their Queensland coal mining projects are financially robust, with some of the lowest operating costs in the world at around $US55 a tonne free on board (FOB). The high-quality, low-ash, low-sulphur, low-gas thermal coal that sits and waits in the basin is millions of years old and make no mistake, GVK has its eyes on the prize.

The Oxford study indicated the GVK Hancock Alpha mine would more than likely need a coal price of at least AUD$100 a tonne to move forward, and if returns were to be realised, the price would have to creep up to somewhere in the region of more than AUD$165 a tonne to return a profit.

It’s no secret that coal prices have taken a hammering over last 2 years and we’ve seen a reduction in coal mining jobs as mining companies trim their operating costs. This is typical of any industry that is faced with making tough decisions when their market becomes stale.

On flip side of the lower coal price and investment drying up we see 48 new mining jobs being created in NSW and a couple of months ago, mining giant�BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) went against the trend and opened up its newest mine in Queensland, the Daunia Coal Mine.

Despite rumoured production coasts of around AUD$120 a tonne, BMA has gone ahead and created�450 new mining jobs at Daunia. A large amount of the mine jobs were filled by people who were looking for mining jobs with no experience – however, BMA gave preference to new starters in a bid to reduce its high cost of employing contractors to do the work.

Overall, BMA coal production increased by 13 per cent over the past year, and the expectation is it will continue growing to reach an export capacity of 59 mtpa by 2015.

Rail network agreement signals the green light for Galilee Basin jobs

Rail freight company Aurizon made mining headlines recently when it was announced a new agreement with GVK Hancock indicating they would use existing rail networks and build an additional 298km of rail instead of the proposed 496km to open up the Galilee Basin region.

The Queensland State government recently sold 74.3 million shares in Aurizon for $350 million in a bid to reduce its debt. Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said the State had taken advantage of good market conditions and decided the time was right to sell.

Aurizon now has the clout to become one of Australia`s largest rail freight companies, with direct links to the mining industry through joint venture partnerships with Australia’s biggest mining companies.

One of the biggest costs associated with mine site development is building the infrastructure and transportation corridors.

GVK Hancock and Aurizon have collaborated to provide a total rail solution including development of port and rail infrastructure networks. It’s envisaged around 1300 mining jobs during the build stage and 300 long-term mining jobs could be created. When the thermal coal mine is eventually developed, the rail network will move thermal coal from the Galilee Basin to the coal export terminal at Abbot Point.

The race for private companies to develop the infrastructure pathways to the Galilee Basin has clearly begun.

BMA opens huge training facility in Queensland

On the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, BMA has even gone so far as to create a 50 acre purpose-built training facility operated by Hasting Deering, where new recruits get to hone their machinery operating skills on giant CAT 789’s, water trucks, rollers and loaders. iMINCO visited the facility earlier this year and was impressed with the amenities which boasts half a dozen mining machinery simulators as well as custom built training rooms and offices.

Mining jobs of the future

With significant investment in mining training and a commitment by mining companies like BMA, mining job seekers should be starting to realise there is a future in the coal mining industry – you just have to know where to start looking.

The trick is to understand where the mining industry is heading and be aware of the changes in technology that along the way will create a whole new class of mining jobs.

Training and skills development will be the key focus for job seekers

Training and skills development will be the key focus for job seekers. In an industry that is literally reinventing itself, anything is possible in terms of employment opportunities, especially in areas like skilled engineering trades, electronics, infrastructure management, engineering and design, geophysics, safety and human resource management.

Are Galilee Basin mining jobs on the horizon? – you better believe it. No one really knows when full scale operations will commence, but the indications are there – be prepared, get the training, get the job.

Checklist for getting into a mining job in the Galilee Basin

• Learn about the Galilee Basin. Research GVK, Hancock Coal and Adani. Just by visiting their websites, you can gather a lot of information about future development plans.
• Be prepared, get the right training for a job in the Queensland coal industry – Mining Induction (Standard 11). This is a Queensland government initiative. This course was also know as `Generic Induction`
• There are other mining courses you can do to up-skill yourself for the next wave of mining jobs in the Galilee Basin.
• You must pass a medical examination and be fit for work. You may need a current Coal Board Medical certificate before applying for mining jobs “� it`s always a good idea to be totally prepared.
• You may also be required to undergo� a chest x-ray at a cost of around $100.
• Expect to take a drug and alcohol test prior to starting work, with regular on-site testing being performed whenever you are on site.
• If you are not an Australian citizen or resident, you must have authority to work in Australia. See 457 Visas and eligibility to work in a mining job.
• Set up job alerts on SEEK, CareerOne, Indeed and other mining jobs boards.
• Search for ‘mining jobs Queensland’ on Google. An example of this would be to use the most common keywords like “GVK mining jobs queensland”, “Adani mining queensland”, “coal mining jobs hancock coal”, “galilee basin jobs” or “galilee basin job”..
• Prepare your resume and cover letter to be mining focused. A professionally, well written, mining focused resume, with targeted keywords and qualification highlights is essential.

15,000 Mining Jobs “� Galilee Basin Queensland