EP.34 Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor John Bowler on Thriving in a Small Town and Rethinking Work Ethic in the Mining Industry

A new generation of miners requires a new way of approaching the mining industry, one that puts people above profit.

Each Wednesday, join Peter Finn, managing director of FACE Contracting, as he navigates the ups and downs of the industry with forward-thinking professionals from all walks of life. If you’re involved in the mining industry in anyway — whether you’re a lifer or a high school student looking to make the leap — Full Production is the perfect podcast for you.

This week’s episode features someone I admire deeply, John Bowler, mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. John is a respectable politician who has spent his entire life in Kalgoorlie, even living in the house he grew up in.

John and I have a deep talk about the state of families in the mining industry and how current practices are perhaps too stressful for workers to deal with. It’s a sobering talk, but one that needs to be had.

We also chat about:

  • John’s beginnings as a journalist
  • Why a place like Kalgoorlie is such a great place to start a family
  • What we can do to better sell the mining industry to younger workers
  • Why fly-in fly-out is the “cancer of the bush”
  • The staggering number of divorce papers John has to sign as mayor
  • Rethinking production costs
  • The relationship between mining and tourism

Links:

John Bowler

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