This is one of those projects that looks great on paper but in practice doesn't stack up from memory. I recall it being debated before and I think the achilles heel of the project was in the transportation. If I can find where it was argued I'll put it up.
It could've been that it wasn't competitive with shipping pre covid ???? I can't remember exactly.
I believe one of the issues was that it needed to do more than just move iron and coal to make it viable. It needed communities and other infrastructure along the way etc.
I think it's a good thing that the senate spends a bit of time on it. Let's suss it out once and for all and then either put it to bed or get on with it. These schemes like the Bradford scheme, nuclear power , canals of water from NW WA to Perth, high speed trains etc all sound great. In most cases, if they were great, they would've been done. Politicians mention them from time to time for a bit of attention or deflection from other things.
Of course. Mr Roberts could just get behind the future rather than the past.
Renewable energy producing green steel in Australia in the NW. Green hydrogen or ammonia exports etc. Green fertilizer for the world market. Batteries in Australia .Actual industries that are developing today.
We may have missed the last steel making opportunity but that doesn't mean we need to miss the next one.
Here's an interesting excerpt from Lang Hancock back in the day.
