Any advice on obtaining a mining job in Australia?

We are flying out from NZ in January and in the meantime I hope to find employment; I have heavy traffic licences (NZ) but no experience on a mine site. I am willing to try anything; we have a child also and any advice on primary schooling and suburbs in Perth would also be appreciated.

My first advice would be to look at this web site: http://www.gowestnow.com/?page=employ_mi...

Your trafic experience migh be of help, but mining companies generally do not employ people who have not worked in the mining sector before. Mine sites are very hazardous places, so it is very risky for a mining company to employ someone who has no experience in heavy construction and equipment related work.

Another good web site to research is the Minerals Council of Australia website at http://www.minerals.org.au/

Are you SURE you are going to Perth? With the WA mining boom, accommodation can be hard to come by.

Talk to a few mining companies- if you aren't settled, you may be better off moving to a country town like Kalgoorlie or Leonora.

Oh, and don't forget Roxby Downs / Olympic Dam in South Australia. They are going through an expansion, too.

I have a cousin that lives in NZ and he said to me last month that in NZ they are advertising heavily about wanting people to move over and work in the mines... have you seen those adds? If not ask around as there will be contact details.

should be easy there's a shortage but you'll have to live in the desert for a while

Living in perth would be a good idea but the mines are a bit of drive (Kalgoorie is where the money is) I heard suburbs like scarborough and others near the beach are good suburbs for schooling and its a lot calmer than the likes of linwood ect. (my grandparents live there, burnt out cars,rowdy neighbours) closer to the sea seems like a good idea.