Australia is the world’s largest exporter of black coal, bauxite, lead and mineral sands. It is also the second largest exporter of alumina, iron ore and uranium, and the third largest exporter of aluminium and gold. Oil and gas extraction and metal ore mining have in recent times been the industry's two largest sources of revenue, followed by coal mining. Together, these three aspects account for more than 90 per cent of the revenue in the Resources component of the industry.

The Infrastructure component of the industry is also known as civil construction. It is primarily engaged in civil engineering work on infrastructure-related projects covering diverse fields such as roads and subdivisions, bridgeworks, railways, harbours, sewerage and drainage, electrical infrastructure, pipelines and recreation works.

The link between Resources and Infrastructure is strong, based on the nature of the activities, the skills required and the amount of civil construction required before many mining operations start.

The key sectors are:

Supporting these key sectors is a products and services sector. Australia not only develops and uses these services, but also exports software, technology, equipment and services used in mining operations around the world.

The world commodity boom and domestic investment in infrastructure projects have resulted in sustained growth in all sectors and a growing need for skilled workers. This has presented the industry with the challenge of attracting, training and retaining staff.

Resources and Infrastructure have a strong history of providing good career opportunities for skilled workers, traditional tradespeople, technical and para professionals, and graduate engineers. However, young people, parents and teachers often have outdated perceptions of many job roles, and the industry faces a major challenge in overcoming these perceptions. To achieve this, the industry is focusing on increasing awareness of career opportunities and career pathways available within the sector. It is engaging young people through excursions and site visits, guest speakers, work placement programs and dissemination of information on apprenticeship opportunities.