PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved the construction of a 120 km dedicated railway line for iron-ore miner Fortescue’s $1.27-billion Eliwana mine.

The EPA on Monday said that the approval for the Eliwana railway project followed on from extensive consultation with the Eastern Guruma traditional owners as part of a four-week public review process.

The proposed rail line will have a footprint of some 38 199 ha and will link the 30-million-tonne-a-year Eliwana iron-ore mine to Fortescue’s Solomon Hub. Production at Eliwana is targeted to start in December 2020, with the mine introducing a 60% iron-grade product into Fortescue’s portfolio by the second half of 2019.

The EPA has imposed a number of conditions on the rail development, including the protection and monitoring of predicted impacts on places of recognised Aboriginal cultural heritage, such as the Nharraminju Wuntu Rock Art Precinct and Kumpanha Dancing Grounds, as well as native vegetation and fauna.

“The expanded consultation with indigenous owners and the proponent, which was made possible as a result of the EPA’s public review process, resulted in a revised railway alignment to minimise direct and indirect impacts to cultural sites, including noise and visual impacts,” said EPA chairperson Dr Tom Hatton.

The EPA also recommended that Fortescue be required to contribute to an approved fund to offset up to 3 690 ha of native vegetation clearing, including up to 40 ha within the Themeda Grasslands on Cracking Clays Threatened Ecological Community (TEC).

“The EPA assessment process determined environmental impacts on up to 40 ha of the Themeda Grasslands on Cracking Clays TEC are manageable with ongoing monitoring,” said Hatton.

The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment will now be opened for a two-week public appeals process, after which the Minister will make a final decision.