I only talk from my experience learned from years in the mining...

I only talk from my experience learned from years in the mining industry...Very hard to get a permit to use large amounts of water from the Artesian Basin, harder still when you can not recycle it... HIO would be pumping it to the coast through Australia's longest slurry pipe. Returning the water to site would be hugely costly, requiring a second pipeline, more pumps, more power etc, etc.. As stated before, not only do they need water for processing the ore (which is usually recycled) but much more is required to produce a pumpable slurry... The more water in the slurry the easier (less power required) to pump it.
BTW, I wouldn't trust the management team as far as I could throw them, anyone who states water will not be a problem has their head buried in the sand...

all in my opinion....