Case Study: Is it really the end of the Australian mining boom/did it actually happened? Australia had been through one of its biggest mining booms in its history. It began around 2003, when prices...

Case Study:

Is it really the end of the Australian mining boom/did it actually happened?

Australia had been through one of its biggest mining booms in its history. It began around 2003, when prices for commodities like iron ore and coal began rising. The boom in mining was initiated by the price rise driven by increased demand from China and other Asian countries. However the boom has all come to an end with Australia taken a huge financial hit as iron ore prices have fallen from $150/tonne to potentially as low  as $35/tonne. What did Australians as a nation, get out of it? Has all Australians profited form it? And would the economical/finical benefits justify the tragic effects this boom had on the environment? The answer is fairly “negative”.
The mining boom had a merely financial advantage, while negatively impacting environmental, social, and health aspects in Australia. The financial benefit is not worth the environmental damage caused by mining. As an environmentalist/reasonable individual, my argument is based on the facts below:
Speaking statistics, a maximum of 2 % of the workforce (ABS) are employed in the mining sector. This means that a few minorities of Australians are directly benefiting from the mining sector. Acknowledging taxes enforced on mining, it’s good to clarify that most of Australia’s mining companies are majority foreign-owned and have received a huge windfall at the Australian taxpayer’s expense (knowing how to avoid taxes). Even though, Locals in the (mining sites region) like the Pilbara, WA, argue that the wealth generated by the local mining industry was passing them by and they were left behind (referring to FIFO workers /onsite accommodations). The mines have only left unattractive nature and environmental disasters to locals.
The impacts it had on the environment/ was the environment considered?

In its two phases, the mining boom has negatively impacted the environment.

The Mineral exploration
•    Exploration has involved the use of satellites and aerial photography. Both impacted through noise and proximity to wildlife,

•    Activities at ground level had required the use of bore holes, excavation pits and transect lines
The Mining operation
•    The impacts had occurred through mine establishment, ore extraction, mineral concentration and transport.

•    Generation of wastes as a direct result of mining. These can be in the form of waste rocks, and other unwanted material. This form of waste has often been relatively toxic. Add to that, the impact of excavations that have changed the landscape in the targeted mining land, which have resulted in damages to the existing wildlife and endangered species habitat.

•    Water and air pollution. Most of the toxic air emissions associated with the mining industry includes dust, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. And these come from mining vehicles and machineries. Water pollution can be seen in:


Sulphuric acid created as a result of rock excavation containing sulphide minerals interact with water and oxygen (acidic lakes formed)
The leaking of chemical agents (such as cyanide, sulphuric acid) from the mine sites into nearby water bodies.
The great impact this mining boom has on the Environment is not limited to current mining operations. Mining residues and abandoned mining sites would also impact on local environments.

As for the post mining boom, the public and the government should be aware of the threats mining poses on the biodiversity and landscapes in the local environments and legislations should be shaped to enforce the application of sustainability to mining as mining companies should start to apply sustainability principles to their operations, recognising that the wealth and expertise generated by a mine can be overshadowed the environmental damage it causes. Add to that the switch into green ethic investments that’s environmental friendly and generates equal financial gains.