Mount Gibson welcomes environmental minister’s decision

Mount Gibson Iron Ltd has welcomed the Western Australian Minister for the.....

  Mount Gibson Iron Ltd has welcomed the Western Australian Minister for the Environment’s decision that the Mt Gibson Iron Ore and Infrastructure Project can proceed.According to Mount Gibson, importantly, the approval is not conditional on the remaining ridges of Banded Iron Formations in the Mt Gibson area that contain subpopulations or suitable habitat for Darwinia masonii and Lepidosperma sp. Mt Gibson and habitat for the remaining restricted floristic communities in the Mt Gibson ranges being secured in a formal conservation estate prior to ground disturbing activities.Official granted approval for the Project to proceed from the State and Federal Governments is expected within 7 weeks. Mount Gibson management will seek Board approval to commence Direct Ship Ore (DSO) operations as soon as practicably possible with the expectation that production will commence late 2008. Mount Gibson intends to transport DSO by road to Perenjori where it will be loaded onto rail wagons and transported to the Geraldton Port for shipment to Mount Gibson’s customers. Mount Gibson will seek approval from the relevant agencies to transport DSO to Perenjori. Mount Gibson’s Managing Director Luke Tonkin welcomed the Minister’s decision saying; “The Minister’s decision effectively decouples the project approval from conservation reserve status and allows the project to proceed which provides greater certainty to Mount Gibson shareholders, the local community and broader stakeholders.”