Compliance is becoming a real tense issue with the miners.

Some of the regularity requirements are simply over the top and, like anything any business must do, it adds costs and effects profits.

Although billions may appear to be a huge profit, it doesn't take much to turn that profit into either a loss, or a not with it situation.

Life without them will be similar to the likes of Europe. Can we afford that?

I think not.

The auditor general says there is not enough checks on mining. No one knows if they are sensitive to environment, or native title. The states are in control of mining.

579, from my personal experience, both areas you have mentioned are compliant sensitive. In fact, when they widened my track, they had tom leave a 80m section, untouched, as an artifact had been found.

They have said to me that priority number one is compliance,followed closely by safety.

They all cost.