Plumber in mines

kay 9

Hi all, new poster on this forum I think but check it out at times. Thinking of moving to Oz and maybe try it for a year, I'm a qualified plumber here in Ireland, with experience in domestic and industrial and have welding certificates also. Is there much work in the mines for plumbers and if so what's the rates as I'm hearing alot of stories of lads on 120k driving excavators. As recent as last Friday I was talking to a fella back for a week and he said he was on 120k driving a 32t cat. If this is true why isn't all of Ireland in the mines or is it really this good out there?:eek::eek: Also interested in gas projects. Opened to other advice and all opinions welcome:)
Ps. I come from a small village and within a mile of me there is supposedly 12 young fellas, mostly unskilled in the mines on this kind of money and it's fascinating to say the least.

crow.bar

I'm a plumber working in perth, from talking to plumbers I work with there isn't a huge amount of work for plumbers in the mine's. Plumbers are mainly employed in the construction of the camps, don't know what the money is like. For pipefitting and welding I think boilermakers are usually employed. I imagine its very difficult to get work plumbing in the mines without connections, its all about who you know. You will need to get your WA plumbing license first anyway and they will probably want to see a couple of years WA experience to, allot of companies in the city won't even employ you without the WA experience.

jackbhoy

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, new poster on this forum I think but check it out at times. Thinking of moving to Oz and maybe try it for a year, I'm a qualified plumber here in Ireland, with experience in domestic and industrial and have welding certificates also. Is there much work in the mines for plumbers and if so what's the rates as I'm hearing alot of stories of lads on 120k driving excavators. As recent as last Friday I was talking to a fella back for a week and he said he was on 120k driving a 32t cat. If this is true why isn't all of Ireland in the mines or is it really this good out there?:eek::eek: Also interested in gas projects. Opened to other advice and all opinions welcome:)
Ps. I come from a small village and within a mile of me there is supposedly 12 young fellas, mostly unskilled in the mines on this kind of money and it's fascinating to say the least.

Did you ask these guys what hours or conditions they work under? $120k sounds like a lot but if you are working 70 hr weeks in some roasting, fly ridden dust bowl 1000km from anywhere its not that great imo. If you worked those hours even in unskilled work with good overtime rates in any Aus city you'd make great living and actually have a life as well.

kay 9

Thanks for replies, appreciate it. They are working 6 weeks on 9 days off. What would a plumber make in the cities with the licence. Cost of living over there is outrageous i hear though. That's why I had the mines in my head, 120k driving a digger or dumper is easy money no matter what hours they do. Alot of lads were doing them hours here on building sites when the tiger was still around. Thought maybe do it for 2 years and get out. Would be a great lift. Would even consider underground mines for more money. I was told by another fella that I could have the plumbing licence in 2 weeks. Is this just pub talk to i wonder:D

jackbhoy

kay 9 wrote: »

120k driving a digger or dumper is easy money no matter what hours they do.

Depends, if you are sitting in cab for 10 hrs on 40 degree day you might not consider it that easy. Not trying to p1ss on your parade but these stories need to tempered with little reality check as well. Lads love to brag about making their fortunes in mines but very few people are making "easy" money there, I suppose they save lots because they have no where to spend it for 6 weeks at a time though.

ellaq

6 weeks on with 9 days off is a really bad roster, one that I have never heard of. Can you imagine the state of your mental health after doing that for a few years? You would be better off getting paid less as a plumber in the city and enjoying life.

crow.bar

Working in the city the starting rate is usually around 39 an hour, cost of living is high but it is enough money to live fairly well and save to. How long it takes to get a license will vary from state to state, if you have all the paperwork with you it will take about five weeks in WA to get a trade license you have to do a preliminary hand skills assessment after you lodge your application with the plumbers licensing board, then within 6 months you have to do a migrant gap training course, the waiting time to get on this course for me is about 3 months from when my trade license was issued. When you finish that course you will get a plumbers license.

DB888

Hi,I have a job offer in the Superpit Mine in Kalgoorlie as a fitter/welder.
I met the company in Dublin at their interviews in March I think it was.They were also talking 6 figure salarys to me,and as many hours as you want to work a week with a minimum 39,but they said there is guys doing 70+.Work is hard,dirty and heavy going,but if your young like myself(22) then you will be alright.Ive worked in the mines in Navan before,in conditions I couldnt imagine being any worse,so I have experienced most of what a mine has to offer in terms of dirty work.The company are subbed out by the mines to oversee projects.Maintenance,refurbishment,new installations,new buildings its all that type of work above ground,thats mostly the info they gave me.

sponge_bob

DB888 wrote: »

Hi,I have a job offer in the Superpit Mine in Kalgoorlie as a fitter/welder.
I met the company in Dublin at their interviews in March I think it was.They were also talking 6 figure salarys to me,and as many hours as you want to work a week with a minimum 39,but they said there is guys doing 70+.Work is hard,dirty and heavy going,but if your young like myself(22) then you will be alright.Ive worked in the mines in Navan before,in conditions I couldnt imagine being any worse,so I have experienced most of what a mine has to offer in terms of dirty work.The company are subbed out by the mines to oversee projects.Maintenance,refurbishment,new installations,new buildings its all that type of work above ground,thats mostly the info they gave me.

did you go? or are you planning on going? did they offer sponsorship?

DB888

They said I can arrive anytime before xmas.So im looking towards september sometime.Yes they said the sort everyone going with sponsorship then after so many years offer of a full time visa and citizenship