Increased mining automation could threaten jobs

While increasing automation in mining tasks can improve safety, it may jeopardise on-site jobs, a new report from the University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) has found.

Responsible mining companies cannot afford to ignore the potential social impacts of large-scale automation, according to Professor David Brereton, Deputy Director of Research and Integration at the UQ Sustainable Minerals Institute and leader of the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster.

“While the large-scale uptake of automation will improve efficiency and create a safer, more attractive working environment, a reduction in on-site roles is likely to reduce economic activity in the local and regional area, and could lead to a loss of population and services over the longer term,” said Professor Brereton.

Indigenous Australians who have previously benefited from employment and business development opportunities created by mining companies are particularly at risk, Professor Brereton said.

“A growing number of major mining companies have made both voluntary and binding commitments to promote Aboriginal training, employment and business development.

“However, many of the entry-level jobs currently held by Aboriginal workers in the mining industry are likely to disappear as automation and remote operation becomes more widespread.”

The Social Dimensions of Autonomous and Remote Operation Mining report summarises a three-year study conducted by CSRM and the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre. The report is one output of the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster, a research program funded by CSIRO and developed by five Australian universities.

A key conclusion of the report was the need for a more strategic approach to developing and rolling out autonomous and remote operations in Australian mining.

“A positive step would be for industry and government to work together on a strategic impact assessment. This could help to quantify the implications for the workforce and regional economies, and make for a smoother transition,” Professor Brereton said.

“This is not about slowing the pace of technological change. Experience has shown that such attempts rarely, if ever, succeed. But we should be working to ensure that the benefits of innovation are broadly distributed and that people living in regional and remote Australia aren’t disadvantaged.”

The full report is available here.