Environment Minister Stephen Dawson has today announced he is dismissing all appeals against the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) assessment on a proposal to mine iron ore in the Helena-Aurora Range, north of Southern Cross.
The Minister’s decision concludes that the EPA’s assessment of the proposal was supported by the available evidence on environmental impacts.
Other relevant decision-making authorities across government will now be consulted to determine whether or not the proposal should be implemented.
Earlier this year, the EPA found that a proposal by Mineral Resources Limited to develop the Jackson 5 and Bungalbin East iron ore deposits within the Helena-Aurora Range was environmentally unacceptable.
The EPA’s report on the Mineral Resources Limited proposal received nine appeals.
These appeals identified a number of objections to the EPA’s report and recommendations, which were investigated independently of the EPA by the Appeals Convenor.