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| A map of the Tasmanian mining industry [Source: Tasmanian Times] |
Mining has long been a tenet of Tasmanian history. To limit Australia's dependence on coal from New South Wales, the first mine in Tasmania was built on the Tasman peninsula in 1833. Although the mine is now only known as the Coal Mines Historic Site, a beautiful tourist attraction that also hints at Australia's history of convict labor, mining continues to play an important role in modern day Tasmania.
Recently, Tasmania's mining industry has been struggling. However, its prospects may change with the new bauxite mine to be opened in the Midlands. Bauxite, the primary ore for aluminum, is in high demand worldwide. As the need for aluminum has grown, bauxite has been found in short supply. After this new mine is approved, Australian Bauxite Limited plans to build two more in the area. A total of eight to ten years of mining is expected. The bauxite mined in Tasmania will be exported from Bell Bay and shipped to China.
Given the consistently strong price of bauxite, Australian Bauxite Limited is reportedly confident in this longterm investment. Given the severe downturn in both the forest and mining industries, during which hundreds of jobs were lost, this new endeavor is cheered by many.
References
- http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/world-heritage-areas/coal-mines-historic-site
- http://www.portarthur.org.au/index.aspx?base=1489
- http://geology.com/minerals/bauxite.shtml
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-18/new-bauxite-mine-to-open-in-tasmania/5977148
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/new-tasmanian-bauxite-mine-lease-granted/5762130
- http://tasmaniantimes.com/images/uploads/bauxite1.jpg
Hi Tina! Interesting post on mining in Tasmania. I'm concerned about the possible negative environmental impacts of expanding the bauxite mining operation in Tasmania's wilderness, though. Did you come across any harmful possibilities?
ReplyDeleteInteresting research, Tina. I wonder if there was an slavery involved when they began to mine. Do you think they worked themselves, or used others to do their dirty work? I also wonder how big this industry is now, and what percent of their exports is of this kind of good. I bet if this is a large contributor, they do this for a large portion of their profit! Kind of scary that the first one is a tourist attraction, though.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Aguilar