Walawski appointed CEO for NW Iron Ore

The North West Iron Ore Alliance has appointed former chief executive of the Association of Mining & Exploration Companies (AMEC), Dr Justin Walawski, as its chief executive.

Dr Walawski has previously been director of CPA Australia (WA), director of Commerce at The University of Notre Dame and an auditor with Ernst & Whinney.

Dr Walawski's appointment follows the Alliance's appointments last month of Mr Chris Davis as Project Director for the Port Hedland Infrastructure Scoping Study, and Sandwell (Australia) to conduct the Port Scoping Study.

Full announcement below:

NORTH WEST IRON ORE ALLIANCE APPOINTS FORMER AMEC CHIEF EXECUTIVE AS CEO

The North West Iron Ore Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of well known mining industry advocate and former Chief Executive of the Association of Mining & Exploration Companies Inc (AMEC), Dr Justin Walawski, as the Alliance's Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive.

Dr Walawski will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the North West Iron Ore Alliance as it continues to focus on negotiating key rail and port access arrangements and completing a Scoping Study for infrastructure development at Port Hedland.

Dr Walawski was appointed Chief Executive of AMEC in 2004. Prior to taking up that appointment he was the Director of CPA Australia (Western Australia), Director of Commerce at The University of Notre Dame and an auditor with Ernst & Whinney. He is also a Director of both FAB Industries Pty Ltd and The Institute of Professional Development Pty Ltd, and is an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University's Graduate School of Business.

Independent Chair of the North West Iron Ore Alliance, Ms Megan Anwyl, said Dr Walawski's appointment reflected the Alliance's commitment to proceed rapidly towards achieving economic and social infrastructure solutions for junior iron ore companies in the Pilbara, and that she looked forward to working with him to deliver a diversified iron ore sector to the Pilbara.

"We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre executive to the Alliance, which I believe reflects the very significant achievements we have made over the past year, and the new workload that exists as we increase our financial commitments towards the development of inner harbour berths and other infrastructure," Ms Anwyl said.

"Justin is a well known industry participant having achieved enormous success with AMEC. He has significant experience in industry policy, facilitating a diverse range of mining projects and achieving outcomes for the industry as a whole," she said.

Since its formation in 2007, the Alliance has been actively seeking public policy settings that facilitate the development of a junior iron ore sector in the Pilbara, especially regarding fair and equitable access arrangements for rail and port infrastructure.

Recent successes include the announcement in August of the securing of two new multi-user berths in the Port Hedland inner harbour. The two berths reserved at Port Hedland have the capacity for up to 50 million tonnes of iron ore exports per annum, sufficient to cater for the initial production of the Alliance's member companies, and may be operational as early as 2012.

The emerging iron ore sector in the Pilbara region has also been boosted by the recent announcement from the Federal Treasurer in October declaring three major rail lines in the Pilbara are open for third party track access.

"The members of the Alliance - Atlas Iron, BC Iron, Brockman Resources and FerrAus - intend to proceed at full pace to develop port and associated infrastructure at Port Hedland to accommodate their various production and development plans," Ms Anwyl commented. "Justin's appointment ensures we are now fully resourced to support all of our members' project development plans."

Dr Walawski's appointment follows the Alliance's appointments last month of Mr Chris Davis as Project Director for the Port Hedland Infrastructure Scoping Study, and Sandwell (Australia) to conduct the Port Scoping Study.

The North West Iron Ore Alliance was formed in 2007 to support the development of a junior iron ore sector in the Pilbara. The member companies - Atlas Iron, BC Iron, Brockman Resources and FerrAus - have agreed to cooperate on issues such as infrastructure development and access, statutory approvals and community development.

Collectively the members of the North West Iron Ore Alliance have the potential to deliver over 52 million tonnes of iron ore per annum by 2013, generating approximately $200 million in State royalties per annum.