You are wrong. Australia is almost dependent on the revenues generated by the mining operations going on. Would you say that it doesn't represent substantial industry? It is more complicated than just lifting out ore. Railroads, and roads need to be built, mines need to be developed (a substantial undertaking)
Also, the refineries are not in the Middle East. Raw oil is shipped out of the Middle East to be refined in wherever they are shipped to.
And a job is a job, and it is better than unemployment.
Are you freaking kidding me? Australia and Afghan are one and the same? Australia controls at what price it sells its resources and to whom. Afghan cannot. See the big picture here?
Here's a list of oil refineries in middle east:
Saudi Arabia
* Riyadh Refinery (Saudi Aramco), 120,000 bbl/d (19,000 m³/d)
* Rabigh Refinery (Saudi Aramco), 400,000 bbl/d (64,000 m³/d)
* Yanbu' Refinery (Saudi Aramco), 230,000 bbl/d (37,000 m³/d)
* Jeddah Refinery (Saudi Aramco), 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m³/d)
* Ras Tanura Refinery (Saudi Aramco), 525,000 bbl/d (83,500 m³/d)
* Aramco/Exxon Yanbu' Refinery (Saudi Aramco/ExxonMobil), 400,000 bbl/d (64,000 m³/d)
* Aramco/Total Jubail Refinery,400,000 bbl/d (64,000 m³/d
* Chevron
Iran
* Abadan Refinery (NIOC), 450,000 bbl/d (72,000 m3/d)
* Arak Refinery (NIOC), 150,000 bbl/d (24,000 m3/d)
* Tehran Refinery (NIOC), 225,000 bbl/d (35,800 m3/d)
* Isfahan Refinery (NIOC), 265,000 bbl/d (42,100 m3/d)
* Tabriz Refinery (NIOC), 112,000 bbl/d (17,800 m3/d)
* Shiraz Refinery (NIOC), 40,000 bbl/d (6,400 m3/d)
* Lavan Refinery (NIOC), 20,000 bbl/d (3,200 m3/d)
* Bandar Abbas Refinery (NIOC), 232,000 bbl/d (36,900 m3/d)
* Kermanshah refinery (NIOC),21,000 bpd
Iraq
* Basrah Refinery (INOC), 126,000 bbl/d (20,000 m3/d)
* Daurah Refinery (INOC), 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d)
* Kirkuk Refinery (INOC), 27,000 bbl/d (4,300 m3/d)
* Baiji Salahedden Refinery (INOC), 140,000 bbl/d (22,000 m3/d)
* Baiji North Refinery (INOC), 150,000 bbl/d (24,000 m3/d)
* Khanaqin/Alwand Refinery (INOC), 10,500 bbl/d (1,670 m3/d)
* Samawah Refinery (INOC), 27,000 bbl/d (4,300 m3/d)
* Haditha Refinery (INOC), 14,000 bbl/d (2,200 m3/d)
* Muftiah Refinery (INOC), 4,500 bbl/d (720 m3/d)
* Gaiyarah Refinery (INOC), 4,000 bbl/d (640 m3/d)
Israel
* Haifa Refinery (ORL), 180,000 bbl/d (29,000 m3/d)
* Ashdod Refinery (Paz), 95,000 bbl/d (15,100 m3/d)
Kuwait
* Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery (KNPC), 470,000 bbl/d (75,000 m3/d)
* Shuaiba Refinery (KNPC), 200,000 bbl/d (32,000 m3/d)
* Mina Abdullah Refinery (KNPC), 270,000 bbl/d (43,000 m3/d)
Oman
* Mina Al Fahal Oman Refinery Company (ORC) 85,000 bbl/d (13,500 m3/d)
* Sohar Refinery Company (SRC) 116,000 bbl/d (18,400 m3/d)
* Dukum Refinery Company (DRC) 200,000 bpd (Proposed)
United Arab Emirates
* Al-Ruwais Refinery (Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company), 280,000 bbl/d (45,000 m3/d)
* Umm Al-Narr Refinery (Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company), 90,000 bbl/d (14,000 m3/d)
* Jebel Ali Refinery (ENOC), 120,000 bbl/d (19,000 m3/d)
* Hamriyah Sharjah Refinery (Sharjah Oil), 71,300 bbl/d (11,340 m3/d)
Qatar
* Um Said Refinery (QP Refinery 100%), 147,000 bbl/d (23,400 m3/d)
* Lafan Refinery (Qatar Petroleum 51%, ExxonMobil 10%, Total 10%, Idemitsu 10%, Cosmo 10%, Mitsui 4.5%, Marubeni 4.5%), 146,000 bbl/d (23,200 m3/d)
* AL-Shahene Refinery (2012), 250,000 bbl/d (40,000 m3/d)
Bahrain
* Bapco Sitrah Refinery (Bapco), 267,000 bbl/d (42,400 m3/d)
Yemen
* Aden Refinery, (Aden Refinery Company), 120,000 bbl/d (19,000 m3/d)
* Marib Refinery, (Yemen Hunt Oil Company), 10,000 bbl/d (1,600 m3/d)
Jordan
* Jordan Refinery ,Zarqa, Az Zarqa, (Jordan Petrolum Refinery Company), 65,000 bbl/d (10,300 m3/d)
The raw oil that does get shipped to foreign refineries are shipping at market prices determined by OPEC. The same can't be said about China which you agreed upon. Rail roads are not an industry. They are infrastructure projects which aid in industrial development and by themselves do not hold any value. China is building roads from afghan through pakistan through the karakoram highway into xinjiang. That is not helping Afghan in any way. Its a ruse for getting cheap raw materials to fuel its exports, nothing more.