Fixed-plant maintenance
Chutes, bins, tanks, guards, frames, pipework, conveyors and wear systems repaired around operating assets.
← Six role families
Role family 03
Fabrication, lifting and SMP careers.
This family keeps structures sound, equipment connected and heavy work moving safely. It includes fabrication trades, licensed lifting and access roles, and multidisciplinary Structural, Mechanical and Piping project teams.
The core idea
The work is connected. The authorities are not interchangeable.
A chute replacement can involve fabrication, welding, mechanical fit-up, scaffolding, dogging, rigging, crane operations, inspection and supervision. Those people share a work front, but each has a defined scope, qualification and authority.
SMP is best understood as a work-package or project umbrella covering structural, mechanical and piping scope. It is not one universal trade or licence.
Name the structure, equipment, lift or pipe system—and the part of the work you were actually authorised to perform.
Where the work sits
Six connected fabrication and lifting environments.
Titles and work boundaries vary between owners, contractors, projects and commodities. Read the actual scope behind the vacancy.
Shutdowns
Concentrated removal, repair, replacement, access, lift and handback work inside a controlled outage window.
SMP construction
Structural steel, mechanical equipment and piping installed or modified to drawings, specifications and quality plans.
Heavy lifts
Cranes, lift studies, dogging, rigging, exclusion zones and coordinated movement of plant or structural components.
Workshops
Fabrication, welding, assembly, component preparation and quality inspection before equipment reaches site.
Underground & remote
Restricted access, ventilation, logistics and emergency constraints change how fabrication, lifting and installation are planned.
Role guide
Nine fabrication, lifting and SMP pathways.
Every band is an indicative 2026 Australian mining range, not a promised rate. Open the salary guide for the basis and comparison rules.
SMP trade assistant
Shutdowns, projects, workshops and fixed-plant work fronts
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$85k–$125kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Stage tools and materials, support housekeeping and access, assist qualified trades within direction, and keep the work front ready without crossing into licensed or trade-only work.
- Foundation
- A lower formal barrier than a trade role, but employers still expect reliable labouring or industrial evidence, task training and clear role boundaries.
- Evidence to show
- Show the crew supported, tools and materials handled, work-front controls, instructions followed, reliability and a referee who observed you.
Boilermaker or fabricator
Fixed plant, structural repairs, workshops, shutdowns and projects
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$115k–$175kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Mark out, cut, form, fit and repair steel structures, chutes, tanks, frames, platework and wear components to drawings and specifications.
- Foundation
- A recognised fabrication trade pathway such as MEM31922, plus process, site and task requirements.
- Evidence to show
- Material and thickness, drawing, fit-up, weld process, distortion control, inspection or QA record, repair outcome and scope personally completed.
Coded or specialist welder
Critical structural, piping, pressure or wear work
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$125k–$185kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Complete qualified welding processes to an approved procedure, control consumables and traceability, and support inspection, testing and repair disposition.
- Foundation
- Trade and welding capability matched to the applicable procedure, material, position and employer qualification system. A generic 'coded' label is incomplete.
- Evidence to show
- Procedure, process, material, position, qualification currency, inspection or NDT result and repair history without overstating engineering authority.
Mechanical fitter or pipe fitter
SMP construction, brownfields, shutdowns and commissioning support
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$125k–$180kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Install and align mechanical equipment or piping assemblies, complete bolting and fit-up, support testing and close quality records within trade scope.
- Foundation
- Mechanical trade capability relevant to the actual plant or piping work. Pipe fitting, pressure work and mechanical fitting are not automatically interchangeable.
- Evidence to show
- System boundary, drawings and specifications, alignment or fit-up checks, test support, punch-list status and accepted handover.
Rigger
Shutdowns, construction, maintenance and equipment replacement
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$100k–$170kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Select and use rigging equipment, control loads and complete lifting tasks within the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced high-risk work licence class held.
- Foundation
- The correct high-risk work licence class plus current practical competence, site systems and task assignment. A rigging licence does not make someone the lift engineer.
- Evidence to show
- Licence class, load and configuration, gear, lift plan or instructions, hazards, communications, personal role and the person supervising or directing the lift.
Scaffolder
Fixed plant, shutdowns, projects, underground and marine facilities
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$100k–$165kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Erect, alter and dismantle access structures within the relevant scaffolding licence class, design and site controls.
- Foundation
- The correct Basic, Intermediate or Advanced scaffolding high-risk work licence and demonstrated competence for the scaffold type.
- Evidence to show
- Licence class, scaffold type, duty and environment, design or handover controls, inspection status and changes personally completed.
Crane operator
Heavy maintenance, construction, shutdowns, ports and workshops
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$130k–$210kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Operate the nominated crane class within load charts, lift controls, site rules and communication arrangements.
- Foundation
- The correct crane high-risk work licence class, equipment competence and site verification. Licence scope depends on the crane type and capacity.
- Evidence to show
- Crane class and model, lift type, load-chart use, site constraints, communications, checks, abnormal conditions and accountable lift team.
SMP supervisor
Multidiscipline shutdown, construction and brownfield work fronts
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$160k–$225kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Coordinate structural, mechanical and piping scope, crews, permits, materials, quality, lifts, access, interfaces and handovers.
- Foundation
- Strong discipline experience and credible supervision. Any statutory appointment, trade authority or high-risk work role remains separate and must be explicit.
- Evidence to show
- Crew and contractor scope, disciplines coordinated, sequence and constraints, quality records, safety decisions, handover and measurable delivery.
SMP superintendent
Major projects, sustaining capital and complex shutdown programs
Indicative 2026 Australian mining band$195k–$285kAUD annual gross, generally before super- Typical work
- Lead multiple SMP work fronts, supervisors and contractors across schedule, cost, risk, quality, engineering and operational interfaces.
- Foundation
- Substantial project or construction leadership built on relevant technical depth. Title alone does not establish professional or statutory authority.
- Evidence to show
- Package value and boundaries, teams, critical interfaces, commercial and schedule decisions, assurance, change control and accepted completion.
SMP explained
Structural, Mechanical and Piping is a package—not a single job.
SMP groups interdependent construction and maintenance scope so it can be planned and delivered as one system. The acronym tells you the package; the position title tells you the person’s role.
Structural
Steel frames, platforms, supports, handrails, chutes, bins and other fabricated structures installed or repaired to design.
Mechanical
Equipment, drives, pumps, conveyors, guarding, alignment, bolting, fit-up and mechanical completion activities.
Piping
Pipe spools, supports, valves, flanges, bolting, testing boundaries and system completion across process and utility services.
Delivery team
TAs, boilermakers, welders, fitters, pipe fitters, riggers, scaffolders, crane crews, inspectors, engineers and supervisors can all contribute.
Role boundary: An SMP worker does not automatically hold every trade, welding, rigging, scaffolding or crane authority inside the package. Vacancies should be read by discipline, scope and required licence—not by acronym alone.
Capability foundations
Five foundations that keep shared work fronts safe.
Verify current qualification, licensing, mine, employer and task requirements before paying for training.
Recognised discipline capability
Fabrication and mechanical roles need the relevant recognised trade or supervised entry pathway. Experience in one discipline does not grant another.
Correct class for the task
Dogging, rigging, scaffolding and crane operation have defined licence classes. Match the task and plant to the class actually held.
Drawings, procedures and records
SMP delivery depends on traceable materials, approved drawings, welding procedures, inspection points, test packs and controlled handover.
Plan, communicate and control
The lift plan, assigned roles, ground and access conditions, load data, exclusion zone and communication method must work as one system.
A card is only the threshold
Employers still need to verify practical capability for the equipment, task, environment and site—even where a national licence is held.
Career map
Progress from task competence to package leadership.
Progression is not automatic. It comes from broader competence, stronger evidence and accountability other people can verify.
- 01
Entry or apprenticeship
Build reliable work habits, site awareness and supervised exposure without overstating scope.
- 02
Discipline delivery
Become dependable in fabrication, mechanical installation, rigging, scaffolding or crane operations.
- 03
Complex work
Develop stronger drawings, quality, lift, brownfield, shutdown or commissioning capability.
- 04
Coordination
Lead a work front, sequence disciplines and return clear progress, quality and constraint information.
- 05
Package leadership
Carry broader accountability for multiple crews, contractors, schedule, risk, engineering and handover.
Fabrication · welding · pipe fitting · mechanical completion
Technical credibility grows through harder materials, tighter tolerances, stronger QA and defensible workmanship.
Rigging · cranes · scaffolding · lift coordination
Progression adds equipment and licence classes, planning interfaces and control of higher-consequence work.
Leading hand · supervisor · superintendent · project lead
The focus expands from one task to the whole package, its interfaces and accepted completion.
The evidence test
Show the exact work front and boundary.
A list of sites and tickets is not enough. Make the structure, equipment, lift, licence class, quality standard and personal contribution verifiable.
Too vague
“Worked SMP shutdowns doing rigging, fitting and fabrication.”
More useful“On a fixed-plant chute replacement, supported the SMP crew as a licensed Basic Rigger: checked assigned gear, controlled the load under the lift plan, maintained the exclusion zone and handed the work front back to the SMP supervisor after placement.”
EvidenceShowAvoid
DisciplineStructural, mechanical, piping, rigging, scaffolding or crane roleUsing SMP as a substitute for a role
AuthorityTrade, procedure qualification and high-risk work class actually heldListing tickets without class or currency
Work frontAsset, structure, lift or piping system and shutdown/project contextSaying only 'mine site'
Personal taskWhat you fabricated, installed, controlled, inspected or coordinatedTaking credit for the package
QualityDrawing, weld procedure, inspection, test, punch list or handoverClaiming quality with no record
RefereeSupervisor or technical lead who saw the workA contact who cannot verify the task
Important boundaries
Shortcuts that do not hold up.
“SMP is one qualification.”
It is a multidisciplinary delivery package. Each person still needs the right trade, licence, competence and appointment for their assigned work.
“A dogging ticket covers rigging.”
Dogging and the three rigging licence classes have different scopes. Read the task and high-risk work class carefully.
“A boilermaker can sign every weld.”
Welding procedure qualification, inspection and engineering acceptance depend on the applicable standard and project quality system.
“The supervisor owns every technical decision.”
Supervisors coordinate delivery, but engineering, inspection, lift design, statutory and trade authorities remain with the people formally assigned.
Sources and further reading
Check the role, regulator and market.
Source-checked 28 August 2026. Requirements and advertised pay can change.
01↗02↗03↗04↗05↗
Training.gov.au — MEM31922
Current Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade qualification scope.
Safe Work Australia — High-risk work licence classes
National descriptions for dogging, rigging, scaffolding and crane licence classes.
WorkSafe WA — High-risk work licensing
WA application, renewal and licence information.
SEEK — Boilermaker salaries
Current advertised Australian salary evidence, with mining and regional comparisons.
SEEK — Rigger salaries
Current advertised Australian salary evidence and industry comparisons.