Approved iron ore project expansion in WA to create 130 jobs

The Western Australian Government has given its approval to the expansion of Sinosteel Midwest Corporation’s (SMC) Blue Hills Mungada East iron ore project.

According to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson, a thorough and appropriate environmental assessment process was given to the project which resulted to its approval, but with strict conditions.

Conditions for the project include:

• Detailed management and monitoring of flora and vegetation
• Ensuring that the project is rehabilitated and decommissioned in a manner that reflects the surrounding natural area to minimise impacts to visual amenity, and is consistent with the end land use for conservation and recreation
• Offsets to counterbalance the impacts of the proposal, including:
  • Establishing new self-sustaining populations of rare flora
  • The relinquishment of a portion of the mining tenement on the Mungada Ridge landform

“Today’s decision follows a rigorous environmental assessment process, public consultation and agreement across relevant Government agencies that the Blue Hill project should proceed.

“I am confident the strict conditions imposed on the proposal will ensure environmental impacts will be minimised while allowing this job-creating project that is beneficial to the local community to proceed,” Mr Dawson said.

The project is located 220 kilometres south-east of Geraldton in Western Australia and it lies on a rare banded iron formation ecosystem.

The expansion will include the construction and operation of a hematite mine pit together with a waste dump, processing facility and haul roads. The project is also expected to create up to 130 direct jobs as well as over 1,000 indirect jobs.

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Source: Government of Western Australia, The West Australian