Telescope clouds Murchison project

The state government’s ambitious plan for the world’s largest radio telescope could complicate the development of Murchison Metal’s Jack Hills iron ore project in the Mid-West.

The Environmental Protection Authority flagged this possibility last week. The EPA gave the all-clear to the first stage of the project but indicated some problems could arise if Murchison proceeded with its much larger stage 2 project.

EPA chairman Wally Cox said the stage 2 proposal “will require careful consideration by the EPA of potential cumulative impacts on vegetation, flora and fauna”.

The real surprise in the EPA announcement was its acknowledge-ment that the mining project could compromise state government plans to host a $1 billion radio telescope.

“There is potential that electromagnetic emissions from vehicles and radios used for the mining project may interfere with preliminary testing work being carried out for the proposed Square Kilometre Array project,” Dr Cox said.

The Department of Industry and Resources deputy director general Stephen Grocott said the department was working with CSIRO and Murchi-son to deal with radio interference from trucking and rail operations.

WA is competing against South Africa, Argentina and China to host the Square Kilometre Array, which would be the world’s largest radio telescope.

WA’s key selling point is that the Mid-West is “outstandingly radio quiet”, so the prospect of mining and rail projects in the region could be a major complication.

Former premier Geoff Gallop, who championed the project, said the telescope would be able to detect and receive very faint signals emitted many light years ago from the far reaches of the universe.

“It is essential that these signals be heard with minimal radio interference, or they could be lost through the noise of other transmissions,” Dr Gallop said in 2003. “This is why the Mid-West region is a perfect location for the telescope.”

The Carpenter government is continuing to push for the project, having recently provided funding for a smaller radio astronomy park on Mileura station west of Meekatharra.

Science and Innovation Minister Francis Logan said the Mileura astronomy park would boost WA’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array project.

Murchison Metals’ Jack Hills Project is located 380 kilometres north-east of Geraldton and 100km kilometres west of Meekatharra. The stage 1 project, due to commence this year, involves production of up to two million tonnes of iron ore annually, which will be trucked by road to Geraldton. The $1.8 billion stage 2 project involves an expansion of mine output to 25mt/year and construction of a rail line to a new port at Oakajee, north of Geraldton.