🕐05.10.09 - 09:45 Uhr
EPA Report recommends Ministerial approval should be given to ARHs Balmoral South Iron Ore Project
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ASX Announcement
5 October 2009
Balmoral South Iron Ore Project reaches important milestone with release of
positive EPA Report
Key points;
- Positive EPA Report released after the Balmoral South Iron Ore Projects
Public Environmental Review (PER) process, and
- Report confirms project can be managed to meet the EPAs environmental
objectives and recommends Ministerial approval be given.
Australian iron ore company Australasian Resources Ltd (Australasian) (ASX:
ARH) has reached an important milestone in the development of the Balmoral
South Iron Ore Project (Project), with the release of the Environmental
Protection Authoritys Report and Recommendations (the EPA Report) on the
Projects Public Environmental Review (PER).
Release of the EPA Report is a major milestone for the Project, held within
wholly-owned ARH subsidiary International Minerals Pty Ltd (IM), and marks a
significant step towards developing this project into a world-class iron ore
venture.
The Balmoral South PER involved extensive environmental surveys and
investigations, including consultation with a range of key stakeholders
during the development of the assessment.
After the longest public review period allowable for this type of assessment
(eight weeks), only two submissions were received from non-government
organisations.
The EPA Report confirms that following this extensive public and government
review, the Project can be managed to meet the EPAs environmental
objectives, and recommends that the Minister for Environment set Conditions
allowing for the Project to proceed.
It is expected that the Ministerial Conditions for the project
implementation will be released during November 2009, and that controls on
potential impacts to the natural environment will be included as described
in the EPA Report.
These Conditions build upon the Management Plans already
contained within the PER, and as such, no further Approvals under Part IV of
the Environmental Protection Act will be required.
The recommendations within the EPA Report and Ministerial Statement are open
to appeal, however, given the extensive consultation to date, it is
considered unlikely that any appeals will be necessary.
The Ministerial Approval granted under Section 45 of the Environmental
Protection Act concludes the assessment of the Project, and allows for
implementation of a Project as described, being;
.
An open cut mine producing 80Mtpa of magnetite ore,
.
Processing facilities including crusher, concentrator and pellet plant for
the production of 24 Mtpa of product, with up to 14Mtpa of pellets for
export,
.
30km conveyor linking the process plant to the port facilities,
.
40GLpa desalination plant and 600MW combined-cycle gas fired power
station,
.
Overburden and waste disposal facilities, and
.
Accommodation villages for 4,000 construction and 1,500 operations
personnel and other supporting infrastructure
Under existing agreements IM has access to the port facilities currently
under construction by Citic Pacific Mining.
IM is preparing the information
required for subsequent licences and permits to effect Project and export
facility construction, and expects to have these in place in 2010 to meet
construction timelines.
Australasian would like to thank the staff at Mineralogy as well as the many
professional consultants and partners for their assistance in preparing the
Balmoral South assessment.
To view the
announcement click here
Andrew Caruso, Managing Director
Australasian Resources
Tel: + 61 8 9322 2288
Em:
David Tasker
Professional Public Relations
Tel: + 61 8 9388 0944/ + 61 433 112 936
Em:
Level 4, 5 Mill St, Perth WA 6000
PO Box 7752, Cloisters Square WA 6850
Phone: (+61 8) 9322 2288
Fax: (+61 8) 9324 2164
Email:
www.austresources.com.au
ABN 46 008 942 809
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