WA Government Signs Deal With BHP Allowing Them to Start Projects Over the Next 100 Years

The State Government has signed a landmark deal with BHP, that gives it approval to start billions of dollars in new mining projects over the next 100 years.

The long-term environmental plan for the Pilbara is the first of its kind in Australia, covering dozens of iron ore mines.

“I can say that this has probably taken the lead not only in Australia but across the globe” BHP’s Iron Ore Asset president Edgar Basto said.

The proposal took seven years to work out, investigating environmental impacts for BHP mine operations and associated infrastructure.

Future iron ore projects will still need to go through environmental approvals, but it’s expected to reduce the process by 50 per cent.

“It will lead to better long-term fundamental outcomes, it will help us significantly reducing the time to get approvals, and it will bring long benefits the economy of west Australia and its people,” Mr Basto said.

The resources giant has several existing iron ore mines in the north-west, the long-term plan flags another 14 in the pipeline.

South Flank is just one BHP project under construction in the Pilbara, worth almost $5.6 billion and employing more than 9,000 people.

“We’re going to be a state that’s an export powerhouse, we are very good at mining iron ore we do it better than anybody else, we sell maybe 60 billion dollars of the stuff overseas every year, so this industry is going to be around a long time” “Business News journalist Matt McKenzie said.

The tens of thousands of jobs it’s predicted to create, is hoping to prop-up a fall business confidence across WA.

“This has been what the environmental movement and the business community has been crying out for,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

BHP’s WA Iron Ore Asset president Edgar Basto said the all-encompassing environmental tick will cut down the time it takes for It’s the deal of the century.

Source: Nine News, 12 July 2019