The closure of state borders to curb the coronavirus will exacerbate the skills shortage in the resources industry and drive up wages for workers in high demand roles, experts warn.

An urban infrastructure boom in Sydney and Melbourne has coincided with a 15 per cent rise in mining investment this year, particularly in Western Australia, where BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue have four major iron ore projects under construction at a collective cost of more than $10 billion.