4 ms·
Australia has abundant uranium, dry geologically stable uninhabited space, bauxite, iron ore, and thermal and coking coal. Australia really should have develope
by throwawaylinux 4y ago
Australia has abundant uranium, dry geologically stable uninhabited space, bauxite, iron ore, and thermal and coking coal. Australia really should have developed large steel and aluminum industries powered by coal and uranium, rather than shipping all the raw materials out with no value add.
- paranoidrobot 4y ago> Australia really should have developed large steel and aluminum industries powered by coal We did. BHP had massive steelworks in Newcastle and Wollongong (~150KM north and south of Sydney), aside from others. BHP found it was cheaper to do it in other countries where environmental, safety and labour laws weren't such as hassle to deal with (aka: Paying a living wage, avoid killing your workers, and limiting the impact you had on the surrounding population). Newcastle also had a massive Aluminium smelter - but again, cheaper to do it overseas. It's a repeating pattern.
- shakna 4y agoWe still do. Alcoa is the largest employer in South Australia, and operates the world's largest integrated bauxite mining and aluminium refinery.