Confidence amongst Australia's mining leaders on the rise

There is an untapped opportunity for Australia to be the leader in innovation-driven mining. As we move into the age of automation, we will see computers doing the majority of the work. If Australia can push hard and train the next generation of engineers, miners and technologists, that's a real global advantage.

Commodity price resurgence

Going forward, companies remain bullish on the price trajectory of commodities, with more than half of mining leaders predicting an increase in pricing over the next 12 months. However, thermal coal remains the exception, with the commodity likely to face more headwinds than metallurgical coal. Coinciding with price growth is a noted rise in capital and investment spending.

Following on from an uptick in spending in 2016, most miners will dig into deeper pockets, with 42 per cent of leaders moderately increasing spending in 2017-2018, up 23 per cent from 2016. Miners remain concerned about costs, particularly in energy and labour, with companies calling to Canberra to provide support in these areas.

After last year's massive surge in sentiment among miners, the sector is capitalising on the renewed optimism sweeping the industry with companies planning to increase capital spending and add to personnel levels.