BHP Billiton resisted pleas for a more locally based workforce at its new Mining Area C project, 120km from Newman, arguing daily commuting was not practical.
"We are hiring more people in Newman, we are hiring more people in Port Hedland, but for these remote operations we see that the model which is sustainable is fly in/fly out," BHP Billiton Western Australian Iron Ore President Graeme Hunt told reporters at the mine's October opening.
"A lot of the workforce actually want that arrangement because of their personal circumstances but we understand the concerns in the regions and we want to work in those regions to try and make sure that we do have a sustainable future."
Proponents of fly-in/fly-out say it allows workers to earn the high wages the jobs offer, without uprooting families from city lifestyles and wider educational opportunities.
But fly-in/fly-out employment in Western Australia, estimated to involve thousands of workers, is also prompting questions about its health and social impacts, such as alcohol abuse and marriage break-ups, as families are separated.
"Up until recently no one has really looked at the behavioral or health implications, the long-term implications of fly-in, fly-out," said Nicholas Keown, research officer at the Goldfields' Men's Health service, based in Kalgoorlie.
"It is quite obvious now that not everyone copes well."
Harbud said he was away from his home for more than half the year, working a rotation of 12 days in the Pilbara followed by 10 days' leave in Melbourne.
"There are people who like it and it suits them, but I find the guys here who have got young children find it very difficult," he said. "I wouldn't recommend it for a family."
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