VIC

Operators:  BHP Billiton

Location:  Pilbara

Employment:  Exact numbers unknown, but is in the thousands for construction and operational.

Timeframe:  Construction has commenced, start up due in the first half of calendar year 2016.

Operators:  OPR was established in September 2007 to pursue a joint venture between Murchison Metals Ltd and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd, each of which had a 50% stake in OPR.  The project is now owned 100% by Mitsubishi.

Location:  Mid west region of Western Australia

Timeframe:   The project timetable from construction to Rail and Port commissioning to first ore on ship, takes the project out to 2014.

Cost:    $3b +

Operators: Gindalbie Metals  and AnSteel (one of China’s leading steel and iron ore companies)

Location:  The operations, located 225km inland from Geraldton in the WA Mid West region is the result of a $2.57 billion project which has been in development since early 2009 and is currently in the final phase of construction.

Timeframe:   Approaching commissioning, due September 2012

Operator: Fortescue Metals

Location:  Pilbara

Cost:  $360m

Timeframe:  18 months, operational by mid 2013

Employment: Unknown, but expected to be in excess of 600

Operators:  Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd

Location: Galilee Basin

Timeframe:The Test Pit for Alpha Coal has been completed and construction is due to commence this year with first shipments expected in 2016.

Cost:  $7.5b

Employment: 2,500 construction jobs and 1,600 permanent jobs

Operators: BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA)

Location:    150km south-west of Mackay

Cost:  $1.6b

Operators: The project is being delivered by Xstrata Coal Queensland and funded through a joint venture between Xstrata Coal Queensland (75% ownership), ICRA (Itochu) Pty Ltd (12.5% ownership) and Sumisho Coal Australia (12.5% ownership).

Location:  Wandoan (immediately west of the township) 

Timeframe:     Two to three year construction period

Operators: East West Line Parks Pty Ltd (EWLP)

Location:  Comprises a new 3,370km trans Australian railway from Port Hedland, Western Australia to Moranbah, in the central Queensland coal fields, as well as 6 or more steel smelters on both coasts (12 or more in total), associated port facilities and infrastructure to support the project.

Cost:  US$45b

Your Invitation to complete the 2012 Australian Mining Employee Survey

Got a spare 15 minutes? You could grab a coffee, send an email or you could enter the draw to win one of five $1,000 Flight Centre travel vouchers.

As we now recruit for the next intake of adult apprentices from around Australia, it is timely to provide an update on the last intake.

We have received over 50,000 enquiries on our website, over 3,700 registrations and have over 2,400 applicants who have passed the desktop audit and are ready to proceed to the final selection processes in addition to those already placed in the program.  Applicant numbers by discipline were: