​Rio Tinto has announced 300 new jobs, with generous relocation packages on offer for new employees moving to Western Australia from interstate. So far this year more than 1,500 people have been hired for the iron ore division in Perth, the Pilbara region, Busselton, Albany and Broome. The mining giant, which will prioritise candidates from WA, is investing $60million in training and development next year, including 150 apprentices and trainees. The mining corporation, which will prioritise candidates from WA, is investing $60million in training and development next year, including 150 apprentices and trainees. Rio Tinto has announced 300 new jobs, with generous relocation packages on offer for new employees moving to Western Australia from interstate.

The announcement comes after calls from Premier Mark McGowan for the mining industry to permanently relocate their 6,000 FIFO workers from Australia's east coast. Mr McGowan on Wednesday said BHP 'has set the benchmark' and called on the mining industry to 'follow BHP's lead'.

'What it means is more people with big incomes coming to live in Western Australia - build houses here, raise their families here and spend their money here,' he said. 'It means the incomes from the mining sector will stay in Western Australia and that's a great thing.

Mr McGowan said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues with importing workers from interstate and overseas. WA is a near monopoly producer of Australia's biggest export iron ore, the commodity used to make steel. The state Labor government conservatively rakes in $5billion a year from iron ore royalties.

National iron ore exports are worth more than $100billion a year, with WA home to 98 per cent of Australia's iron ore reserves, meaning the state rakes in about $38,000 per resident from those mineral deposits alone. Two-thirds of that goes to China, Australia's biggest trading partner.

Broken down again, iron ore last year made up 43 per cent of Australia's exports to China by value.