Globe Environments congratulates Mt Gibson Mining on today securing a recommendation for environmental approval of the Iron Hill Deposit Project from the Environmental Protection Authority.
The Iron Hill Deposit Project will form a southerly extension to Mt Gibson Mining’s approved Mt Gibson Ranges mine operations, expected to yield an estimated 5-7 million tonnes of iron ore having a gross economic value of approximately A$370million.
Globe Environments worked with Mt Gibson Mining between 2013-15 to project manage the Government approvals for the Iron Hill Deposit, starting from the initial concept stage with coordinating a range of environmental surveys, to then preparing the various environmental approvals documentation – including the Public Environmental Review on which the EPA’s decision is founded. We also prepared the referral documentation under both the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (C’th), and coordinated many of the consultations with relevant Government agencies (e.g. Environmental Protection Authority, Department of Mines and Petroleum, Department of parks and Wildlife).
The key environmental assessment issue for the Iron Hill Deposit project is the direct and cumulative effect to the Rare Flora taxon Darwinia masonii – which has been recorded only from the Mt Gibson Ranges and is protected under both the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (WA) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (C’th). Globe Environments prepared an assessment of the effect of the project using the IUCN criteria to demonstrate that the direct and cumulative effect of the Iron Hill Deposit project is not expected to change the current threat category ranking under the IUCN criteria.