Rinehart’s McPhee Creek gets EPA nod

Gina Rinehart-owned Atlas Iron’s $605 million McPhee Creek iron ore project has taken a leap towards fruition after it received support from the state’s peak environmental body.

Atlas Iron, a subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting since 2018, received the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendation for approval on Wednesday after referring its proposal in 2021.

The McPhee Creek iron ore project, north of Nullagine in the Pilbara, is tipped to produce up to 14 million tonnes per annum of ore over an expected life of 15 years.

Atlas is collaborating with Hancock’s group of companies to progress the proposed mine’s development, which has been budgeted to cost $605 million.

If approved by the minister, the miner would move to clear 1,912 hectares of vegetation on the 4,465ha foothold to support the development of five open-cut iron ore pits.

The proposal's associated infrastructure includes crushing and screening facilities, waste landforms, run of mine pad, access roads, solar field, waste water treatment plant, stockpile and laydown areas, borrow pits, groundwater bores and transfer infrastructure, explosives magazine, fuel storage and landfill.

Perth-based Atlas would also build administration facilities and an accommodation camp at the site, located 100 kilometres north of Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill iron ore project.

Ore would be transported by truck to the Roy Hill project for processing, or it may be on sold as direct shipping ore, according to EPA’s report.

Earlier this year Thiess Group’s MACA won the load and haul contract for up to 10 million tonnes per annum before being transported to Roy Hill for processing.  

The Nyamal people are the Traditional Owner group relevant to the development envelope, with the Nyamal #1 claimant group holding a registered native title claim over the area.

According to EPA’s report, up to four heritage sites would be directly impacted and 69 sites potentially indirectly impacted by the proposal.

Within the development envelope there is about 682ha of high value fauna habitat.

The EPA recommended that the proposal may be implemented subject to conditions largely around mitigating environmental impacts.

A final investment decision was expected to be made by mid-2023, according to Atlas’ website.