Prosperity may have been brought over by mining activities in Queensland and Western Australia but the attending decadence is also inevitable as the steady stream of thousands of workers fuelled boredom, alcoholism, prostitution and rising violence.

A new Queensland University of Technology study showed that the hordes of workers stationed on mining camps in both states brought with them social troubles that has effectively transformed nearby towns and cities into crime spot areas.

Penned by Professor Kerry Carrington, the report highlighted the grim sideshow of Australia's mining boom and with up to $116 billion of fresh projects already lined up, it warned that the resources industry and both the federal and state governments may find it hard to cope with situation, which is only expected to deteriorate as the sector gears up for further expansion.

The whole scenario, according to Professor Carrington, is damaging to the host communities with threats of sexually transmitted diseases and uncontrolled violence set to plague the areas once the current level of workers absorb more numbers expected to flock Queensland and WA mining sites during the peak of the second wave of mining boom.

However, Professor Carrington suggested that the trend could be checked by encouraging a family environment in the mining regions, which can be done by providing subsidised housing.

This should ease the tension observed among the thousands of men competing for the scarce numbers of women found within the immediate surroundings of the mining site, which Professor Carrington said was mainly the cause of violence so far recorded by police authorities.

Also, the introduction of more recreational activities and facilities could help arrest the growing problem as the study cited that workers with considerable disposable incomes must be offered viable options, such as online access, gyms and libraries, in spending their free time to lure them away from alcohol and violence.

The report called the attention of the federal government to address the issue soon as Professor Carrington stressed that the glaring ill-effects of the new round of Australian mining boom belie the earlier claim that the industry is fostering sustainable development of communities hosting its projects and activities.