Ann: Aurox Receives Environmental Green Light , page-10

Approvals for WA iron ore projects
Posted 6 hours 15 minutes ago
Updated 5 hours 50 minutes ago

Map: Karratha 6714
The WA Premier Colin Barnett has welcomed the Environmental Protection Authority's conditional approval of a billion dollar iron ore project in the State's Mid West.

Gindalbie's Karara project is in the Blue Hills Range, east of Geraldton.

The EPA's approval is conditional on the creation of an A Class Reserve to protect the biodiverse Mungada Ridge.

Ginalbie has agreed to relinquish its mining tenement over Mungada.

Mr Barnett says delays to the project have been unacceptable and he is pleased it can now progress.

"It is a significant project, around $1.8 billion of investment," he said.

"It will create around 1500 jobs during construction and a further 600 operational jobs over the life of the project.

"It's an agressive development time frame, with construction hopefully to begin this calander year."

Gindalbie Metals says gaining conditional environmental approval for its Karara project means the development is nearly underway.

Gindalbie Chief Executive, Garrett Dixon, says gaining environmental approval has been a long and expensive process.

"We started that process almost three years ago, and about two years ago almost to the date we actually agreed with the EPA about the scoping study, that's defining what needs to be done in the report," he said.

"So since then we've been working very hard with the EPA and have now finally got the recommendations out."


Pilbara project

The Environment Minister Donna Faraghar has approved a new iron ore project in the Pilbara.

Aurox Resources has secured environmental approval for its Balla Balla open pit iron ore mine at Whim Creek, near Karratha.

The company says it is aiming to produce more than 10 million tonnes of ore a year.

The approval is subject to a number of conditions regarding the mangement of flora and fauna, the quality of surface and ground water and site rehabilitiation.

Production is expected to start in 2012.

Company representatives are now in Beijing to commence discussions with Aurox's off-take partners and potential investment groups.

Tags: industry, environment, government-and-politics, iron-ore, wa, geraldton-6530, karratha-6714
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