Long distance commuting and regional development: a case study of Stawell, Victoria

Stawell is a town of 5,737 people located in western Victoria. The local underground gold mine has operated for thirty years employing approximately 350 people at its peak in the last decade. In 2012, the mine’s closure was announced because of reduced profitability caused by increased costs and the depth at which the gold needed to be extracted. In response to the impending closure, the opportunity to undertake fly-in fly-out (FIFO) or drive-in drive-out (DIDO) commuting to other mines in Australia was identified. Local business owners and the local council have been heavily involved in pursuing this goal, driven by a desire to: utilise the mining skills base of the local workforce; retain the town’s population, and take advantage of the demand for mining skills across Australia. The co-incidental upgrading of the local airport gave an additional boost to the prospects of developing FIFO opportunities from Stawell.