25 October 2011

Is the Mining Industry Evergreen?

So you go into the forest, set to make a Bear Grylls weekend out of it. Armed with your fire starter, Official BG knife, a backpack full of useful items you picked up along your journey…. And a pocket full of chocolate just in case things don't go to plan. Your journey is laid out in front of you. Just a short descent down a slope and paradise can be your shelter for the night. With these few exceptions that you couldn't discern from your current view point:

• The 'Short descent' is 100 metres - straight down - sharp rock
• 'Paradise' is infested with leeches
• The government has installed an electric fence to restrict your movements
• Your cameraman is hungry and has slight cannibalistic tendencies

Perception is a funny thing. When you're standing right in the middle of any situation, your view is so far removed from those on the outside.

From the inside of the mining industry one can see its ups and downs. Its successes and failures. Its good luck and bad luck stories and understand the amount of work it takes to sustain the kind of forward motion that drives the Australian economy.

From the outside, many see an infallible machine. Evergreen and inordinately successful. Perhaps they even believe that success is easy to attain or something that is the right of all to share.

Is it education or experience that is lacking when the people on the outside judge what can and cannot be achieved by those within. Is it fair and reasonable to believe that because one or two large companies within an industry are successful that every venture will be the same? And will a tax on Carbon make any difference to our environment?

 What are your views on the taxations imposed on and where is your viewing platform?