This is the third episode in our series exploring life in Australian mining towns. In this episode, we spoke to Javad Aslam, who moved directly from Pakistan to Moranbah and has lived there without first settling in one of Australia’s major cities. Javad shared his experience, how he secured an engineering job in Moranbah, and his views on finding a job in a mining town directly from Pakistan.
According to Javad Aslam, when he moved from Pakistan to Australia in 2023, he already had some understanding of Moranbah, as some people he knew were already working there in the same industry. They had also made him aware of the challenges associated with family life and living in the local community. He said that because his role is engineering-related, options such as FIFO or DIDO were not available to him, and his priority was to live with his family.
Comparing life in Pakistan with life in an Australian mining town, Javad said he had previously lived in a small town near Rahim Yar Khan, so adjusting to Moranbah’s relatively slower pace of life was not difficult for him. He also found the cultural diversity there more appealing than in Pakistan. He advised people looking for work in Australia from offshore that finding a job in mining towns or regional areas can be easier than in metropolitan cities. He said that because of workforce shortages, some companies may even sponsor people with the required skills.
