the continuation of such resource operations was never in question when you look at the royalty contributions that happen w.r.t. state and federal governments budgets.
I think the revenue to state and federal governments gets overstated. By far the biggest source of federal revenue is personal income tax.
WA as the major resource state looks like this.
So the best way to ensure government revenue streams is have people working and paying tax. So is a small cafe or restaurant, bicycle shop or bar less important to revenue than a minesite? I would say no, expecially since the federal government now has to hand out short term welfare to those businesses that are closed.
If it is okay to get on an aircraft, check in at a terminal and eat at the mine site mess then it must be okay to do the same in a city restaurant with careful consideration to how close tables are to each other.
We know there is a lot of smoke and mirrors here. Just look at school children, they cannot have four friends over to play or celebrate a birthday but they can go to school with hundreds of children and teachers.