Life in Kalgoorlie - what is it like?

[fourcorners]

I LOVE this post! I have friends in Kal (ex-Zimbabwe) who have been there 3 years and are doing OK. OH is adamant he does not want to do FIFO when we get to WA so if he can get a job in Kal it would be awesome! Plus I would be able to play hockey again.... I had hung up my hockey boots here as with 2 under 5's I was struggling to get the work/home balance right, but in Kal my friend said they are very friendly and welcoming at the sport club and I won't have to travel 1 hour to get a game! :biggrin:

 

All the matches are at one pitch - takes me 10 minutes to get there! Well, if you do move here you'll have to join Pegasus Hockey Club - best social events, and looks like all our senior teams will be in the final four for the grand final semi's which start in a couple of weeks! I'm in the A2 women's team, otherwise known as the 'Dreamers'! At one point a few years ago 6 of the team were recently immigrated poms. Now there's 2 of us and 1 in the A1 team.

 

We have a few friends from Zimbabwe, Kal seems to be a popular destination. One family has been in the this area for 10 years now (Leonora plus Kal), and the husband is my OH's boss. I'm teaching his wife how to do leather tooling as she wants to make purses/handbags etc. Unfortunately they're all moving to Albany at the end of the year, building their own house there made of straw bales!

 

In my opinion FIFO creates far more problems and outweighs any possible benefit of higher wages compared to residential work. I think it's also terrible for regional Australia. Investment isn't put back into the communities near FIFO camps. If it was, maybe more people would live residentially in more remote communities. You do get some tax breaks for living regionally - I can salary sacrifice my rent and electricity/gas costs which gets me an extra $250 a month. You'd get more if you lived more remotely.

 

Kal is what you make of it. Yes it can get you down sometimes but from reading MBTTUK just about anywhere in Australia can get you down if you let it! I think although I do get homesick a fair bit, it's got nothing to do with Kalgoorlie, and I would suffer from it wherever I lived. I actually found it much worse when I lived in Vancouver! It's easier to settle into a smaller town, you find your way around really quickly, make friends quickly etc.

[VERYSTORMY]

Good post Fourcorners. Seems there is more going on than I realized. I used to spend 4 days a month in Kal and know for us it wouldn't work.

 

I more than know the disadvantages of FIFO. For me the advantage is that I only have to go to work 22 weeks a year as do week on week off and 4 weeks holiday. Means if I want to go on holiday for 3 weeks I just tale a weeks annual leave and the break each side means 3 weeks off But am now looking at a campaign based role of 4 weeks in the office, home every night, 10-14 days in the field and then a week off.

 

By the way, FIFO staff get the same tax breaks. In fact because of the zoning I get more, being up north than Kal.

 

As for people Doing residential at other places, it depends on the place. A lot of sites don't have a town. My current site is 300km to the nearest town - Marble Bar and a lot of families don't want to live in a remote town regardless of how nice it was. No way under the sun would I consider Marble Bar

[VERYSTORMY]

Actuall just realized. Maybe some Brits would love Marble Bar as they seem sun obsessed and we a renin winter still and it was 34 last week

[fourcorners]

Good post Fourcorners. Seems there is more going on than I realized. I used to spend 4 days a month in Kal and know for us it wouldn't work.

 

I more than know the disadvantages of FIFO. For me the advantage is that I only have to go to work 22 weeks a year as do week on week off and 4 weeks holiday. Means if I want to go on holiday for 3 weeks I just tale a weeks annual leave and the break each side means 3 weeks off But am now looking at a campaign based role of 4 weeks in the office, home every night, 10-14 days in the field and then a week off.

 

By the way, FIFO staff get the same tax breaks. In fact because of the zoning I get more, being up north than Kal.

 

As for people Doing residential at other places, it depends on the place. A lot of sites don't have a town. My current site is 300km to the nearest town - Marble Bar and a lot of families don't want to live in a remote town regardless of how nice it was. No way under the sun would I consider Marble Bar

 

 

Many councils and groups are now lobbying that Taxation Zone Rebates should not be paid to FIFO or DIDO workers, so I think within a year or so that will be a thing of the past. I think it's ridiculous that FIFO workers get it at present, after all when on site you don't have to spend a penny on food, energy, housing or transport. The benefit should be for those in remote communities who have to pay more for these essentials than you pay in Perth. I agree a lot of newer sites don't have a town, but so many in established mining areas do, and the towns are empty shells of what they used to be. Take our friends who lived in Leonora for while - their house is now part of what's called the 'ghost town'. At least with mine sites that don't have a town, it would still be far better if workers lived closer, for example at Argyle mine near Kununurra most of the technical staff live in Kununurra. It's a 10 minute flight to site rather than a 3 hour one from Perth. And they've designed the camp so that it can become a holiday camp after production finishes and benefits the local community long term. Again not all sites would be suitable but so many would be.

 

I have worked FIFO in the past too, but would never consider doing it again. I worked 2 weeks on 2 weeks off in Canada, but hated it. I hated the fact that my OH worked monday to friday so couldn't spend all that time with him, and very difficult to make friends other than work colleagues or join in any clubs/sports teams.

 

For many FIFO workers the advantages are rather selfish, they tend to only consider how good it is for them when its so bad for Australia in the long run. Something's got to give eventually, and unfortunately it's usually the families and personal relationships that suffer. When commodity prices start going down again you'll see the return of rosters like 6 weeks on 1 week off, that's how it all used to be here.

[fourcorners]

By the way, FIFO staff get the same tax breaks. In fact because of the zoning I get more, being up north than Kal.

 

 

 

 

Forgot to say too, that yes you get the income tax rebate, you probably get over $1000 back per year. In Kal we get $57, hardly worth the paper it's written on. Plus you have to have been in that remote area for at least 183 days so it sounds like you wouldn't be eligible VERYSTORMY anyway, as 22 weeks is 154 days.

 

I was mainly talking about the Remote Area Housing Benefit (RAHB) salary sacrifice scheme, which gets me $250 extra per month, equating to an extra $3k per year. So the RAHB is better than the Taxation Zone Rebate which is what you will be getting. To get the RAHB I have to submit a copy of my rent receipts and bills every month as proof of living in a remote area.

[Rugby Lad]

Many councils and groups are now lobbying that Taxation Zone Rebates should not be paid to FIFO or DIDO workers, so I think within a year or so that will be a thing of the past. I think it's ridiculous that FIFO workers get it at present, after all when on site you don't have to spend a penny on food, energy, housing or transport. The benefit should be for those in remote communities who have to pay more for these essentials than you pay in Perth. I agree a lot of newer sites don't have a town, but so many in established mining areas do, and the towns are empty shells of what they used to be. Take our friends who lived in Leonora for while - their house is now part of what's called the 'ghost town'. At least with mine sites that don't have a town, it would still be far better if workers lived closer, for example at Argyle mine near Kununurra most of the technical staff live in Kununurra. It's a 10 minute flight to site rather than a 3 hour one from Perth. And they've designed the camp so that it can become a holiday camp after production finishes and benefits the local community long term. Again not all sites would be suitable but so many would be.

 

I have worked FIFO in the past too, but would never consider doing it again. I worked 2 weeks on 2 weeks off in Canada, but hated it. I hated the fact that my OH worked monday to friday so couldn't spend all that time with him, and very difficult to make friends other than work colleagues or join in any clubs/sports teams.

 

For many FIFO workers the advantages are rather selfish, they tend to only consider how good it is for them when its so bad for Australia in the long run. Something's got to give eventually, and unfortunately it's usually the families and personal relationships that suffer. When commodity prices start going down again you'll see the return of rosters like 6 weeks on 1 week off, that's how it all used to be here.

 

Great post 4C's. I'm very wary about calling people selfish but I agree that both the Australian Federal governments and, maybe even more so, the State Governments are being extremely short sighted on the future of regional Australia. Australia is the most urbanised nation on earth, with most of the population in only 5 cities (in a huge country) - bizarrely just saw that Kalgoorlie is the 42nd biggest city in Australia (source Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011 Census) so it goes to show how few cities and towns people actually live in over here This has led to the massive housing bubble (along with very poor decision making on tax and investment policies as well as other intangiables like poor superannuation returns) which has sucked investment out of the "real" or "useful" economy and starved states and regions of investment funds for needed infrastructure.

 

I believe there needs to be far more debate on what FIFO is achieving for Australia, what it does to families etc. etc. There appears to be little appetite for debate on anything over here - probably why the politicians here are so useless.

[collip99]

I'm getting a little bit down

 

I'm trying to find sports to keep me active. There's no mens softball, I cannot find any badminton and according to the Oasis there isn't any five-a-side soccer! What is this 38 year old bloke with dodgy knees meant to do for sporting activity now? I love team sports, and I love competition, but cannot find anything that may suit me.

 

Any help/advice guys?

 

Phil

[VERYSTORMY]

The fact is though, that most people don't want to live in regional towns. I have been offered jobs in Kal and there isn't a company with enough money in the bank to get me to take it. Lots of people seemingly feel the same. If that or long rosters were the only option then I would move back to the UK and do FIFO to Africa / Asia and earn what I do now and not have to pay tax.

 

For me personally, it is unlikely as I am senior in exploration and most roles are going the other way by offering campaign based work of 4-6 weeks in Perth, 10-14 days in the field and a week off. That suits me fine for my next role.

 

I have heard the argument about FIFO being bad for Oz but don't buy it. How? The small towns that are dying would have already died anyway because of the above. Even in the worst case scenarios the mining companies help out the town. I used to work at a site near Laverton. Non of the residents worked at the site but the mine along with another funds the hospital and school.

 

The FIFO lifestyle is not for everybody as I have said in posts above and I am getting over it now myself. But it is always going to exist for many sites.

 

As for the tax, this year I got it as my last role was long swings 6 weeks on 2 off. My current wouldn't qualify but I have been offered a campaign role on more money than my current so don't mind losing it.

 

 

Many councils and groups are now lobbying that Taxation Zone Rebates should not be paid to FIFO or DIDO workers, so I think within a year or so that will be a thing of the past. I think it's ridiculous that FIFO workers get it at present, after all when on site you don't have to spend a penny on food, energy, housing or transport. The benefit should be for those in remote communities who have to pay more for these essentials than you pay in Perth. I agree a lot of newer sites don't have a town, but so many in established mining areas do, and the towns are empty shells of what they used to be. Take our friends who lived in Leonora for while - their house is now part of what's called the 'ghost town'. At least with mine sites that don't have a town, it would still be far better if workers lived closer, for example at Argyle mine near Kununurra most of the technical staff live in Kununurra. It's a 10 minute flight to site rather than a 3 hour one from Perth. And they've designed the camp so that it can become a holiday camp after production finishes and benefits the local community long term. Again not all sites would be suitable but so many would be.

 

I have worked FIFO in the past too, but would never consider doing it again. I worked 2 weeks on 2 weeks off in Canada, but hated it. I hated the fact that my OH worked monday to friday so couldn't spend all that time with him, and very difficult to make friends other than work colleagues or join in any clubs/sports teams.

 

For many FIFO workers the advantages are rather selfish, they tend to only consider how good it is for them when its so bad for Australia in the long run. Something's got to give eventually, and unfortunately it's usually the families and personal relationships that suffer. When commodity prices start going down again you'll see the return of rosters like 6 weeks on 1 week off, that's how it all used to be here.

[fourcorners]

The fact is though, that most people don't want to live in regional towns. I have been offered jobs in Kal and there isn't a company with enough money in the bank to get me to take it. Lots of people seemingly feel the same. If that or long rosters were the only option then I would move back to the UK and do FIFO to Africa / Asia and earn what I do now and not have to pay tax.

 

For me personally, it is unlikely as I am senior in exploration and most roles are going the other way by offering campaign based work of 4-6 weeks in Perth, 10-14 days in the field and a week off. That suits me fine for my next role.

 

I have heard the argument about FIFO being bad for Oz but don't buy it. How? The small towns that are dying would have already died anyway because of the above. Even in the worst case scenarios the mining companies help out the town. I used to work at a site near Laverton. Non of the residents worked at the site but the mine along with another funds the hospital and school.

 

The FIFO lifestyle is not for everybody as I have said in posts above and I am getting over it now myself. But it is always going to exist for many sites.

 

As for the tax, this year I got it as my last role was long swings 6 weeks on 2 off. My current wouldn't qualify but I have been offered a campaign role on more money than my current so don't mind losing it.

 

Why don't people want to live in regional towns? Because there isn't good enough infrastructure or amenities. Why aren't isn't there good enough infrastructure or amenities? Because not enough people want to live in regional towns. It's a catch 22 situation. Back in the day before flying was so easy, these towns were booming. I can't believe the number of towns that used to exist in regional WA that are now not even noted on the maps.

 

At the moment, as in your example of Laverton, that even if someone wanted to live residentially they can't because it wouldn't fit in with the rosters or companies simply can't/won't accommodate residential work arrangements.

 

I agree FIFO is always going to exist, but I honestly find it upsetting that people work FIFO to places like Kal and Kambalda. At the end of the both those people, and the town, lose out.

[VERYSTORMY]

I don't think it is anything to do with infrastructure and things. For example, we are very much a beach family. I am 40m from the water. There is no way I would give that up.

 

Perth is only just ok from a cultural view. We love very good restaurants, my wife loves art and galleries and things. We both like classical performances, opera, ballet and things.

 

Then there is the practicality of the fact when the next downturn comes (and its on the way) a small town with maybe one mine is very limiting from a career point. A lot of the small towns that have a mining resident residence die very quickly when the mine closes. Nymagy in NSW was a town of 5000 until the mine closed. Now a town of 15. Property had been expensive and people spent a lot of money buying there. Then the mine went and the property was worthless.

 

There are reports over the last few days that the big iron ore guys are going to start major project cuts. Add in some of the biggest iron ore projects in the world about to come on stream owned by Chinese state companies in Mongolia, Africa and brazil and I wouldn't fancy the chances of the Pilbara been too great a career option.

 

I think FIFO will reduce in the coming downturn, it always does. But, a lot of the professionals won't go residential, particularly the Brits. A lot are already packing up and heading away from Oz. It was always going to happen as mining costs are blowing out. I have never seen so much exploration ground getting dropped in WA before and so fast.