PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Uranium developer Toro Energy was facing another delay in the award of federal approval for its Wiluna project, in Western Australia, after the Department for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities extended the time for Minister Tony Burke to make a decision on the project.
In December of last year, Burke extended his decision timeframe until the end of March, with the Minister seeking more information regarding the potential impacts of the project on the area’s water resources, and the safety of the proposed tailings burial depth after project completion.
Toro said at the time that the delay in the environmental approval would not affect the project’s timeframe.
“Toro understands that as the decision had been inadvertently scheduled for Easter Sunday, it has now been extended to no later than April 5,” said Toro MD Vanessa Guthrie on Wednesday.
“Toro looks forward to receiving the Minister’s decision next week, following the public assessment process which has lasted almost three-and-a-half years,” she added.
Subject to final federal approval, project financing and the uranium market conditions, a final investment decision on the Wiluna mine was expected during the second half of 2013, with first uranium sales targeted for 2015.