The Perth suburbs where residents work the longest hours

West Australians are among the hardest workers in the nation – and the numbers prove it.

Across the state, residents are putting in some of the longest full-time hours in Australia, with many averaging more than 50 hours a week.

The data, based on where people live rather than work, highlights how deeply the mining and resources industry shapes the state.

In the Greater Perth region, Peel region residents top the list – with the exception of Two Rocks in the north – with Dawesville residents averaging 50 hours and 41 minutes of full-time work each week.

Close behind are North Dandalup and Ravenswood, all averaging just over 50 hours a week.

Following those are South Yunderup, Erskine and Falcon, where full-timers typically put in between 48 and 49 hours weekly.

These areas have become home bases for fly-in, fly-out and drive-in, drive-out workers, offering a quieter, coastal lifestyle while allowing commuters to drive to the airport or nearby work sites in the Peel or South West regions.

For DIDO worker and shotfirer Craig Fenner, who is trained to detonate explosives to extract site minerals, the long days are simply part of life.

“I do 12-hour day shifts. By the time I’ve driven to work and home again, it’s a 14 to 15-hour day from start to finish,” Fenner said.

The Halls Head resident has spent almost three decades in mining, working both nearby and FIFO roles.

He’s worked several jobs, from the sought after local day shifts, to gruelling six-weeks-on, one-week-off night shifts up north.

“When I was a driller’s offsider (in the Pilbara), we’d do 13-hour days, six-weeks straight, sometimes longer,” Fenner said.

“It wasn’t much fun, but that’s just how it was back then.”

“The good thing is when I’m off, I’m really off.”

Craig Fenner

These days, working closer to home gives Fenner a better balance, though the hours remain long.

“You don’t get much of a social life during work weeks. It’s basically go home, shower, eat and go to bed,” he said.

Fenner said while mining jobs pay well, it’s mostly because of the hours, not necessarily the rates.

Despite the demanding rosters, Fenner believes most miners take pride in the lifestyle, even if it comes with sacrifices.

“I’ve got a 12 and a 15-year-old, and they’ve grown up with me working these shifts,” he said.

“The good thing is when I’m off, I’m really off.”

Census director Caroline Deans said mining jobs tend to follow this “all-or-nothing” pattern, driven by rosters that alternated between intense work periods and extended time off.

Outside Perth, the hours climb even higher.

The outback town of Nullagine, in the East Pilbara, tops not just WA but the entire country, with full-time residents averaging nearly 76 hours a week.

Nullagine is located near several major mining projects, with more than two-thirds of residents working in iron ore mining.

Other northern WA mining towns such as Mount Sheila, Pannawonica, Marble Bar and Paraburdoo also recorded some of the highest average hours in the nation, with residents typically working more than 67 hours a week.

The remaining locations topping the list are also known for mining.

The data was recorded during the 2021 COVID lockdowns, which may have affected working hours in some industries such as tourism and hospitality, while mining and construction remained largely unaffected.

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