" Fly-in, Fly-out " jobs !

We are about to lose a thousand steel manufacturing jobs in the Illawarra, and the mining areas of Western Australia and Queensland are crying out for skilled people to fill existing job vacancies.    There is criticism that these jobs will be filled in a " Fly-in, Fly-out " arrangement.

A little careful thought reveals why this is the only way that can reasonably happen.

To an employer the ideal applicant for a mining job would be a person aged between twenty-five and forty-five, with skills applicable to the mining industry.    Such a person is probably male, married and with school age children.   This family will either have a home secured with a mortgage, or will be living in a Housing Commission dwelling.

Think of the immense problems associated with moving that family to a mining town in another state.  Because of the sudden expansion of mining there the supply of housing is inadequate - and is priced far higher than the Illawarra.  He would therefore sell here at a loss in comparison with relocating costs - and if a tenant of the Housing Commission - would drop to the bottom of the list if the job failed.

In all probability, his wife has a job here, and that would be hard to replicate in a booming mining town. It is possible that it would require a change of skills from clerical or sales - to driving heavy machinery, and that would not be a happy experience for everybody.

Then there are the children.    We have a totally different curriculum in each state's education system, and together with the loss of friends - relocating would be highly disruptive in that critical period of a young persons life.

The " Fly-in, Fly-out " option also has it's downside.    It creates a family void when one member is absent for the usual two week shift, and then returns.  There is always the risk of boredom resulting in an increase in alcohol consumption or gambling,  and added stress can be detrimental to any relationship already under pressure.

" Fly-in, Fly-out " is probably the best option in the short term.  It allows all the parties to consider the implications without time limits on making decisions.    It also gives breathing space to consider the long term future.    Will this mining boom continue indefinitely ?      Will the jobs be forever restricted to a " Fly-in, Fly-out " workforce - or will pleasant mining towns eventually become reality ?

These are big decisions for those families needing to find a new job.   The wise course is to select the least disruptive option - until the future becomes clearer !