Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
an almost entirely young, moneyed, male population, and this has created a pattern of in-
flux and change in Karratha that is echoed in other mining towns across the state. Many
labourers are away from home and family, and have considerable funds to sink into beer
and good times.
Such social shifts have not gone unnoticed by politicians, including Premier Colin Bar-
nett. One initiative rolled out since the peak of the boom is 'Royalties for Regions' - put-
ting money back into regional areas like Karratha, which had not been able to easily build
much-needed infrastructure despite the boom. Mobile-phone coverage is now being ex-
panded on the remote highways.
Tim Flannery's
The Future Eaters
is a highly readable overview of evolution in Australasia, covering the
last 120 million years of history, with thoughts on how the environment has shaped Australasia's human
cultures.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Drinking has long been part of Australian culture, but FIFO workers off the clock focus
particularly keenly on playing hard. Throughout the global financial crisis (or 'GFC' in
Australian parlance), letting off steam over a few beers simply continued apace for many.
But by late 2012, dropping iron-ore and nickel prices had started to reduce the number of
nights out on the town: jobs had been shed. And it is perhaps those who hold the mantra
'work hard, play hard' most closely to their hearts who have been found to be most vul-
nerable to shakes in the economy. Many young workers have limited education and have
been earning big sums from a young age. For some, the upkeep of their lifestyle (jet skis,
cars, houses) has always been contingent on a mining salary that did not waver. When it
does, there may be no Plan B.
