Fortescue Metals Group Ltd wants to reduce the numbers of mine workers on fly-in fly-out contracts because the system wrecks marriages, chief executive Andrew Forrest says.
However, Mr Forrest said the iron ore miner would always need some fly-in fly-out workers at its flagship Cloud Break mine in a remote part of Western Australia's Pilbara region.
"Where we have very remote operations, there is no choice," Mr Forrest said.
He said workers had complained of wrecked marriages because of the fly-in fly-out system.
"I see the family breakdown: it walks up to my desk and tells me about it.
"Given the choice of having their families with them, would they do what they're doing because of the money? No.
"Fly-in fly-out destroys the social fabric of the community in which they're in.
"Unfortunately, it cannot be gone completely."
Regional towns like Port Hedland, which did not even have a cinema, needed more amenities to attract families to live there, he said.
Mining in the Pilbara could be "a permanent centre of activity like Silicon Valley ... a growth engine that is going to be around for our grandchildren".
Mr Forrest reiterated a call for business leaders to take part in his scheme to create 50,000 jobs for indigenous Australians, dubbed The Australian Employment Covenant.
Companies that will take part in the mentorship program include construction giant Leighton Holdings Ltd, oil and gas producer Santos Ltd, Crown Casino, Australian Football League and supply chain solution provider Linfox.
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