This paper discusses the implications of mine automation for Indigenous peoples. Rapid advancements in new mining technologies, such as mine automation, have the potential to impact Indigenous peoples and the Indigenous mining workforce. In the past two decades, data confirms that in some jurisdictions, Indigenous peoples’ participation in mining employment has grown significantly. In Australia and Canada, the number of Indigenous employees is unprecedented. The predicted acceleration in mine automation could disrupt this positive trend. There is no indication that the industry is considering the potential downside effects of mine automation on this stakeholder group. A careful and critical examination of mine automation in the global mining industry and its effects on Indigenous peoples is urgently required.
Holcombe, S. & Kemp, D. (2018). Indigenous employment futures in an automated mining industry: An issues paper and a case for research. Brisbane: Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland.