A small community on WA's south coast is bracing for the loss of more than 300 jobs, following news a local nickel mine will close. Nickel mining is well known as a boom and bust industry but Hopetoun residents say they've survived mine closures before, and will once again band together.
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00:00 Footballers are feeling the pressure in Hopeton on and off the field.
00:07 The town's biggest employer, First Quantum Minerals, has announced the Ravens thought
00:11 nickel mine is going into care and maintenance as commodity prices fall and costs climb.
00:17 It will be a bit of a hit to our club unfortunately.
00:20 It's a huge blow for this community of about 1,000 people.
00:24 It's probably around half of the students that are enrolled there that have got families
00:30 involved in the mining, whether that's at First Quantum or another mine.
00:35 My partner is at the mine.
00:36 Obviously our future is up in the air at the moment.
00:39 Parents love the opportunities Hopeton offers children.
00:42 They're like gazelles.
00:44 They need their open space.
00:45 They need to run.
00:46 That's what Hopetown can give them.
00:48 It's really lovely and it's why we're here and it's why people don't want to leave.
00:53 The mining company says about 50 workers will be kept on as caretakers.
00:57 So that we are ready for a restart when the prices do increase.
01:02 This is not the first time that Hopeton has been affected by the falling price of nickel.
01:06 The mine was mothballed in 2009 and again in 2017.
01:10 But the locals here are a resilient bunch.
01:13 As long as you've got people who are passionate in your town who want to do things for the
01:16 town, your town will succeed no matter what.
01:19 Community groups are getting together to collaborate, to put on events, to bring some live music,
01:25 to bring people together.
01:27 We want to keep the town feeling supported and feeling alive.
01:32 I see our club powering on.
01:34 Even if that means with less members, that's just what we'll do.
01:39 A rallying cry from a resilient town.
01:41 Bye!
01:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]