Flying Miners: Aussies tell us what it’s really like inside the mining boom

SHE used to be a model - now Shana’s making bigger bucks as a miner. And she’s not the only Aussie chasing gold in the west.

IT’S not a word we would have been throwing around ten years ago, but nowadays FIFO workers are the envy of many with their fat salaries and extended days off.

But with reports of growing numbers of suicides in the industry and endless speculation of boom turning to bust, what’s the temperature like inside the mining industry at present?

Flying Miners tells the real-life stories of those on the front line of Australia’s mining boom. Here’s what life is like inside the modern-day gold rush.

SHANA MOOYMAN

Shana Mooyman has been in the industry for six years after starting at 19.

IT takes a strong personality to rock up to male-dominated mining site at 19 and start driving heavy machinery — but Shana Mooyman has one very firm head on her shoulders.

The 25 year old, who has a background in modelling and promotions work, has been working in the industry for six years after joining “pretty much straight out of high school”. She’s used her time to secure three investment properties and set herself up financially and is now working on a plan B.

“When I first started I was quite young. I was paying off my loans and there was all this excitement. It was a good couple of years and I loved it. Having a whole week off at a time was great, you can do a lot in that time. I wouldn’t be able to go back to a Monday to Friday job, I know that,” she told news.com.au.

She works as an “all-rounder” on an iron ore mine driving loaders, graders, excavators, and any machine except for a ‘dozer’ — a job she scored through a friend in the industry after wanting to get out of her hometown of Bunbury.

The former model now works as an all-rounder on an iron ore mine and said life in the male dominated industry is great, but you have to be the kind of person that can handle it.

“They were willing to give me a shot and away I went. Being that young I was thinking of the money and I would save so much. I was single back then I didn’t have any commitments back at home. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do — the timing was everything.”

While working in a male-dominated environment is a shock to some, Shana said you need to be the type of person that can handle it.

“When I first started people would all the time be asking, ‘why are you up here?’” she said. Now a few years older, she has a partner who works in the construction side of the industry and has scaled back the after-work socialising.

And on the job.

As a model in a former life.

“I don’t ever go down to the wet mess [an onsite pub] I used to be a lot more sociable and drink with my crew but I don’t do that anymore. I more just talk about my partner all the time. It throws it in everyone’s faces. Now they just treat me like one of the guys. Once you’ve been doing it for a while you can have fun with the guys. If you don’t act like a princess they’ll treat you better.”

Her mum, brother and partner also work in mining but most of her friends have nine to five jobs, meaning she misses out on a lot back in Perth.

“You do give up quite a lot. Working away isn’t for everyone. It’s hard on you mentally, you’re very isolated. [Sometimes] I just want to see someone or see a familiar face and the best you can do is call them or Skype them. You either can do it or you can’t, it’s definitely not for everyone.

Shana’s mum and brother are also in the industry, which she has used to set herself up financially with three investment properties.

“You’re in a bathroom sized room with a single bed. There’s no fancy meals. You can’t just go off somewhere, there’s nowhere else to go. It’s very isolating and can be a very lonely life if you’re not careful. You’ve got to keep your communications up. I Skype or give my partner a call every night. I can’t miss that.”

Having sent herself up financially she’s now planning an exit strategy for the next couple of years.

“We wanted to get the ball rolling to make it so one day we can both be at home. There’s so many couples where the husband is away and I already know that’s not the life I want. We’ve started investing. We’ve at least got something to show for our lifestyle. We’re both at the age where we want to come home. I definitely don’t want to be here in another five years. I want to be having kids. For me there’s maybe another year, maybe two. It’s definitely not a long-term thing.”

Shana pictured with friends.

MATT SKEET

Matt Skeet knows the boom and bust of mining better than most. He runs Castle Drilling Company, which specialises in exploration drilling and is based in Kalgoorlie — a town flush with mining money where a dinner out will cost you $50 or $100 for a case of beer.

“There’s definitely booms and busts. For us it’s a real boom [at the moment],” Matt said over the phone from his latest drilling site.

“The industry as a whole is struggling but our clients are really busy but we’re a bit of an anomaly. We’re very lucky that our clients have kept us busy and demands increased so we had to get a second machine. It was a big issue for us. I just did it because I knew if we couldn’t service our clients there’s a chance we would lose them altogether.”

Matt Skeet and wife Jo.

Matt is originally from New Zealand and got into mining as a way to “work for six months and fund some travel”. But every time he talked about leaving there were pay rises and then he met his wife Jo — an Albany local — and they stated a business together in 2008.

“It went really well for 12 months but then the GFC hit, which was a bit of a tough time for us, it just died. Everything stopped, especially drilling. A lot of drilling happens in boom times so the drilling industry really suffered. We ended up getting a civil contract in Brisbane, that went for nine months. We would have seen each other once a month. That was pretty tough.”

After living in Queensland, he moved back to WA and now things are going gangbusters thanks to his busy clients. However while the rewards are substantial, Matt said it takes a heavy toll on family time — particularly as he has 11 staff and numerous clients so is effectively never ‘off’.

Matt and Jo pictured with their daughter Poppy.

“There’s definitely not enough hours in the day. Normal FIFO workers get to leave work and shut off but I’m out in the field and catching up on book work. I’ve got to make myself available to clients and staff. It’s really hard for us because it consumes us. But there’s reward in it. You’ve got more earning potential,” he said.

They’ve recently invested in a second machine with the view that Matt will spend more time at home - something that is “yet to happen”.

“At the moment for the good of our relationship and family we’ll stay at current levels but in saying that, as a business person … if too good an opportunity comes along you’ve got to take advantage of it.”

He said the industry the industry is full of people with broken families, in debt, and some “living hand to mouth” but said it’s satisfying to see his young staff make investments and do well. He wanted to take part in the Flying Miners documentary to show what life is really like.

“I was conscious that I didn’t want to sound like I was complaining, [there is] definitely a lot of financial reward but once we started filming and once we got involved I sort of came to the realisation you have to promote what it is like. People do need to know especially if they’re trying to get in.”

NICK DAMETTO

Queensland mechanical fitter Nick Dametto and his fiancee. Pic: Supplied.

If you could perfectly time the mining boom to suit your lifestyle, Queensland mechanical fitter Nick Dametto has got it bang on.

The 31-year-old got his first gig in 2005 after finishing his apprenticeship and has spent the last nine years riding the wave, working on fixed machinery at mine sites during breakdowns and planned maintenance shutdowns.

“I was working in mining for about two years when I bought my first house. I’ve paid a substantial chunk of that off. Two years ago build a second house and rented out my first house. We’ve done all right out of it,” he said.

Mr Dametto has bought a boat with mining cash but said it involves plenty of sacrifice.

But while it’s a great life while it lasts, Mr Dametto said there are plenty of signs the golden rivers are beginning to run dry with rosters tightening up and staff being let go. Just last week he lost his job and eight day on, six day off roster — but with plenty of contacts in the industry has got other offers on the table.

“It is one of those things the longer you’re in the more people you meet and the more opportunities. It is still an industry it’s who you know, not what you know — if you’re doing a good job people notice,” he said.

Mr Dametto said there are noticeable signs of the boom coming to an end.

Not that mining is a game you can afford to stay out of for long. Mr Dametto said he knows only too well the ‘golden handcuffs’ that can trap people into their six-figure salaries — with expensive toys and habits meaning they have to keep heading out for ‘one more swing’.

“In WA I was working side by side with men in their sixties earning $3000, $4000 a week” he said. But many of them had lost their fortunes through drinking and gambling.

“Because they’re away from home they don’t have to pay for anything. If doesn’t matter if you have three dollars in your account because you’ve got free accommodation you’ve got free food.”

Miners might get the good life, but they definitely work for it, Mr Dametto said. Pic: Supplied.

A little home project.

One of his toys.

He’s used his money to buy a boat, cars, motorbikes and jet skis and is currently building a drag car in his garage.

“When you are making good money you look at your income and think ‘I can afford certain things.’ Instead of worrying about the power bill you can go to dinner four or five times a week. You do spend more because you’re trying to trade off time.”

“You want to enjoy socialising with people you haven’t seen because you’ve been 3000km away in middle of the desert.”

Mr Dametto is engaged and is now looking for a wedding venue for next year and weighing up options on the next step for life with his fiance and 13 year old son.

He’s tossing up between a retail or restaurant business and said: “We’ve got the money there to do it. It’s just a matter of picking something.”

“There’s always the safety net of mining industry to crawl back to I suppose.”

Flying Miners airs tonight on ABC

Originally published as Flying Miners: Aussies tell us what it’s really like inside the mining boom