Talk to me about Mt Isa

[MasterOfReality]

I have been asked to submit an application for a job in Mt Isa, today.

Career wise, the role could be a good move with the first class mine managers ticket a reality within 5 years. Basically consolidating the last 5 years into a full time site based role. I do site based work at the moment, but not on a full time basis as I'm with a consultancy so a lot of it is high level design. Previous work before that was site based. Current job is on the line, every time I walk in the door I don't know if I'll be there at the end of the day. The way the market is at the moment it is very hard to find other work.

Its a $25k pay cut and I'll have to rent my own place but there is a site allowance and rental assistance but I don't know how much yet. Rent for a half decent house are $500+ a week. To get the same standard of house I own now, its $800+ a week.

Wifey says its up to me, but I'm worried she will be bored shitless within 3 days if she doesn't get involved. I have lived in mining towns before whereas she hasn't. I have been to Mt Isa before on a fifo basis but never looked at it as a residential option.

Any suburbs I should avoid? Anything in general I should avoid? To complicate things we have a kid due towards the end of the year (at least that will keep the missus busy for a while).

Am I a fucking lunatic for even considering this?

 

[dolphinman]

I don't know much about the Isa, apart from hearing they are running low on water (mine and town), and with the predicted strong el-nino on its way, things could get worse. Nothing like a challenge eh?
These kind of choices are much easier to make when you don't have small kids (school etc). So if you are going to do it - now might be the time.

If you have a 4WD some pretty amazing landscape to explore in your time off.

Could role out plenty of homilies - home is what you make it, you only live once etc... But that wont help.

I

 

[MasterOfReality]

I don't know much about the Isa, apart from hearing they are running low on water (mine and town), and with the predicted strong el-nino on its way, things could get worse. Nothing like a challenge eh?
These kind of choices are much easier to make when you don't have small kids (school etc). So if you are going to do it - now might be the time.

If you have a 4WD some pretty amazing landscape to explore in your time off.

Could role out plenty of homilies - home is what you make it, you only live once etc... But that wont help.

I

The missus is keen but I don't know how much of that is genuine. The last thing I want is to move up there and wifey gets cranky because there is nothing to do. On the plus side she is a cpa accountant with a mining company so there is a good chance she will get something there.

The plan was to always go residential once we have kids and stay until they are school age. We were looking at the larger towns like Isa, Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie. I think she is going to hesitate at having to pop one out in Mt Isa and would prefer Brisbane, where she has her doctor and hospital picked out. Don't blame her and if it comes to it then she can stay in Brisbane until its done.

We do have a 4wd, albeit a late model grand vitara with a 2" lift kit and BFG AT's. Brilliant on the beach but elsewhere don't know.

I'm leaning towards it may be worth it just for the career gains alone. Financially I'll be taking a hit for the first few years but after that then it will be ok.

 

[pistonbroke]

It's a shithole that should be filled in. I will never go back.

 

[hifiandmtb]

It's a shithole that should be filled in. I will never go back.

Well, there's some first-hand experience!

 

[Rhys_]

I've spent time in both Kal and Isa and neither are places I'd want to be bringing up a child. Number one issue being the pollution from the smelters.

Personally I took a strong dislike to both places..I found Kal very expensive for everything, full of cowboy 'miners' and I didn't enjoy getting hassled by drunk aboriginals during a standard trip to the shops. Limited time in Isa suggests it's no different.

However I think there is a lot more to these places than what is obvious on the surface, given the people I know who live there who say it's not that bad and there are even some that like it.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[g-fish]

I once jumped a car off a motocross jump in Mt Isa. That's my only experience of the place, but if it's all like that it must be good!

 

[Ivan]

I lived there for a year roughly 7 years ago.

• It's remote. You probably know this from being at site, but maybe your missus won't realise that Townsville is 10hrs drive and flights to anywhere arent cheap.
• There is an issue with lead poisoning. That would put me off raising kids there http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-...-isa-cause-lead-poisoning-in-children/4757502
• It's a small town and has some pretty rough and poor areas.
• There great opportunities for career advancement due to regular staff turnover.
• There are some fantastic people there, just like a lot of small towns in Australia.
• There is lots of bush to play in, but its more suited to moto/4wd as it's mostly sand and rock.

 

[poita]

I have been asked to submit an application for a job in Mt Isa, today.

Career wise, the role could be a good move with the first class mine managers ticket a reality within 5 years. Basically consolidating the last 5 years into a full time site based role. I do site based work at the moment, but not on a full time basis as I'm with a consultancy so a lot of it is high level design. Previous work before that was site based. Current job is on the line, every time I walk in the door I don't know if I'll be there at the end of the day. The way the market is at the moment it is very hard to find other work.

Its a $25k pay cut and I'll have to rent my own place but there is a site allowance and rental assistance but I don't know how much yet. Rent for a half decent house are $500+ a week. To get the same standard of house I own now, its $800+ a week.

Wifey says its up to me, but I'm worried she will be bored shitless within 3 days if she doesn't get involved. I have lived in mining towns before whereas she hasn't. I have been to Mt Isa before on a fifo basis but never looked at it as a residential option.

Any suburbs I should avoid? Anything in general I should avoid? To complicate things we have a kid due towards the end of the year (at least that will keep the missus busy for a while).

Am I a fucking lunatic for even considering this?

My wife and I spent the last 15 months traveling around Australia. We lived in the Isa for 6 weeks while we worked last July/August. You're not a lunatic, you have thought about it enough to ask questions, but I wouldn't live there for all the gold in the world. I/we didn't enjoy the place much, so I'm biased I guess.

Some questions I think you need to answer yourself are:
1.Are you, your wife and your newborn happy to live essentially in exile from the rest of Australia for the duration of your stay? Other people have mentioned it, but it costs a fortune to fly in/out and is 10 hours at least to get to Townsville. You won't be leaving often (in any circumstance).
2.Do you like the desert, dust and rocks? Someone mentioned there isn't much water, and what is there is in lake moondara. That's where the crocodile eating snakes live
3. Are you and your wife happy living in a small town of 20000ish people? It certainly changes things, and if you haven't lived somewhere that size before it will be a shock.
4. I know you work in mining already, but are you and your wife happy waking up to smoke stacks and mines every day? I found it horrible being able to see the smoke stacks from every single street and having the mine towering over the town.

They're probably the most important things I would think about. And I've sent you a PM.

EDIT: career-wise if I were you I would look to other mine towns that are a bit more amenable. I/we lived and worked in others on or trip that I would actually think about living in. Oh and if you aren't getting serious rent assistance, good luck 8)

 

[MasterOfReality]

It's a shithole that should be filled in. I will never go back.

Yeah, I always say that after I leave a town but in this industry you never will know what will happen haha.

I've spent time in both Kal and Isa and neither are places I'd want to be bringing up a child. Number one issue being the pollution from the smelters.

Personally I took a strong dislike to both places..I found Kal very expensive for everything, full of cowboy 'miners' and I didn't enjoy getting hassled by drunk aboriginals during a standard trip to the shops. Limited time in Isa suggests it's no different.

However I think there is a lot more to these places than what is obvious on the surface, given the people I know who live there who say it's not that bad and there are even some that like it.

I get that feeling too from speaking to guys I know. Some love it and some hate it (about a 50/50 split).

I once jumped a car off a motocross jump in Mt Isa. That's my only experience of the place, but if it's all like that it must be good!

I have done some crazy shit too in mining towns, an excellent combination of boredom and alcohol!

I lived there for a year roughly 7 years ago.

• It's remote. You probably know this from being at site, but maybe your missus won't realise that Townsville is 10hrs drive and flights to anywhere arent cheap.
• There is an issue with lead poisoning. That would put me off raising kids there http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-...-isa-cause-lead-poisoning-in-children/4757502
• It's a small town and has some pretty rough and poor areas.
• There great opportunities for career advancement due to regular staff turnover.
• There are some fantastic people there, just like a lot of small towns in Australia.
• There is lots of bush to play in, but its more suited to moto/4wd as it's mostly sand and rock.

Thanks Ivan.

• Yeah the remoteness could be a concern but isn't a priority at the moment.
• The lead poisoning does put me off. I worked in a lead/zince mine before and did the whole monthly blood tests and what not. Other couples with kids I know have stayed around 2 years max before getting out of there.
• Small town, although a lot bigger than others. Any particular areas one should avoid?
• I hear you on the career advancement - most of my mates who went to Mt Isa put up with the lower pay but are now in very good positions.

My wife and I spent the last 15 months traveling around Australia. We lived in the Isa for 6 weeks while we worked last July/August. You're not a lunatic, you have thought about it enough to ask questions, but I wouldn't live there for all the gold in the world. I/we didn't enjoy the place much, so I'm biased I guess.

Some questions I think you need to answer yourself are:
1.Are you, your wife and your newborn happy to live essentially in exile from the rest of Australia for the duration of your stay? Other people have mentioned it, but it costs a fortune to fly in/out and is 10 hours at least to get to Townsville. You won't be leaving often (in any circumstance).
2.Do you like the desert, dust and rocks? Someone mentioned there isn't much water, and what is there is in lake moondara. That's where the crocodile eating snakes live
3. Are you and your wife happy living in a small town of 20000ish people? It certainly changes things, and if you haven't lived somewhere that size before it will be a shock.
4. I know you work in mining already, but are you and your wife happy waking up to smoke stacks and mines every day? I found it horrible being able to see the smoke stacks from every single street and having the mine towering over the town.

They're probably the most important things I would think about. And I've sent you a PM.

EDIT: career-wise if I were you I would look to other mine towns that are a bit more amenable. I/we lived and worked in others on or trip that I would actually think about living in. Oh and if you aren't getting serious rent assistance, good luck 8)

Hi poita,

1. Its something we have discussed - Brisbane is 3 hours away by plane if we really need it. I have repeatedly pointed out how remote this place is and it doesn't seem to faze her. We are also considering Broken Hill &/or Cobar too. When I first met her I told her this is what I do, moving around it part of the job and if you don't like it then best you leave now. She also works in mining (albeit a corporate role) and seems to accept that. But I know plenty of people who start off like this and then it all falls apart when the missus gets cabin fever.
2. Desert/dust/rocks are not an issue for me personally. It comes with the territory.
3. Smallest mining town I lived in had around 1500 population, largest was 5000 people. One with 20,000 people will seem like the big smoke to me. I was single at the time. The missus has only lived in Brisbane so has no idea about rural living.
4. I might be weird but I actually like it. I grew up in Wollongong and spent many an hour wandering around the Port Kembla steel works with my old man.

Rent assistance is going to be the sticking point - a $25k pay cut to my current base salary, plus subtract say another $26k from my after tax income for rent, its a $50k hit. The company is really going to have to come to the party with this. But I suspect they won't, hence the high turnover in this place.

 

[dolphinman]

[*]There is an issue with lead poisoning. That would put me off raising kids there http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-...-isa-cause-lead-poisoning-in-children/4757502

If it was me - and I had a baby on the way whilst there - this would seal it for me.

 

[John U]

She's a CPA! You should retire, or maybe retrain or you and your family will most likely be living in places like the Isa for a long time (polluted, cashed up mining workers with a shit load to spend, blowing off steam, in a short time frame). From what I've read from your posts youi know the drill though.

I gave up exploration geology a few years ago and got into something else. It meant going to the almost bottom of the ladder again. The straw that broke the camels back was a 6 week stint in GunPowder (2 hours from Isa). I had a good time there but it was a long way from the normal that I wanted to live for the rest of my life.

 

[MasterOfReality]

Hehe, I can't retrain again as I have already done it once and it set me back a bit. Jumped from mining engineering into mining geotech which was a hell of a steep learning curve. But at least I can look at both disciplines now when it comes to work.

The only reason why I have been in a major city for the last 7 years was because of the mining boom, and I generally got what I demanded. But all good things come to an end so its back to mining towns hehe. I'm not fussed, I'm looking forward to it actually. I'm sort of over the cbd work thing - traffic, broken public transport, mad last minute airport runs when a client rings up because something has fallen apart.

The lead is an issue, we will be speaking to wifey's obstetrician to see what he reckons. I have worked underground in a lead mine before and never exceeded the threshold over a 12 month period. Then again that town didn't have a smelter sitting next door either.

Exploration geo is a tough gig - they are usually the first to go when the industry gets nervous. There are ups and downs in this industry but the ex geos feel it the most I think.