One of new Federal Resources Minister Gary Gray's first official duties will be to help celebrate the opening of Gindalbie Metals' $2.6 billion Karara iron ore project.
The ceremony, to be held on site in the Mid West in just over a fortnight, will be eagerly anticipated by Mr Gray and Premier Colin Barnett, who will also attend.
Karara's formal opening will mark the end of an at-times torturous journey for Gindalbie chairman George Jones and his quest to demonstrate that magnetite ore is not inferior to Pilbara hematite.
Karara's opening will also be a rare cause for celebration for WA's fledgling magnetite industry, which has promised much but so far delivered just one mine. The next most-advanced asset is CITIC Pacific's troubled Sino Iron.
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