australian aboriginal culture in the region is deeply connected to the land and water and the mining activities threaten the fragile desert environment of the pilbara. locals in the pilbara argue that the wealth generated by the local mining industry is passing them by and they are left behind. a lack of accommodation and the unattractive nature of relocating to the "dusty outback" resulted in a majority work force of fly-in fly-out workers, depriving local towns of the benefits of a high-earning permanent population.