As in Canada and Russia, mineral deposits often lie in out-of- the-way places. In the late 1970s huge diamond supply was discovered near Lake Aegyle, 1200 miles northeast of Perth. The area is thinly populated and far from the beaten track. To get a quick start at mining the new and valuable find, the owners decided against the topical procedure of building a new town at the site. Instead, they flew workers in from Perth for two-week stints at the mine site. The need for such practices forces up the costs of mineral development.