The Environmental Protection Authority today released their advice and recommendations (EPA Report 1328) to the Minister for Environment on the proposal by Sinosteel Midwest Corporation Limited to mine hematite ore at Koolanooka Hills and at two locations at Mungada (part of the Blue Hills Range), to reinstate the Mungada Haul Road to its original width and construct an accommodation camp at Old Karara Homestead.

The project is being formally assessed as the pit expansion at Koolanooka Hills would directly impact approximately four hectares of a Threatened Ecological Community (TEC).  The expansion of the pits at Mungada West and East would impact a Priority Ecological Community (PEC) and on one Declared Rare Flora (DRF) species and other flora with restricted distributions. 

The project is considered by the Commonwealth of Australia to be a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 because of potential significant impacts to listed threatened species and communities and listed migratory species and is being assessed under the bilateral agreement with the Western Australian Government.

The EPA has developed a set of conditions that it recommends be imposed if the proposal by Sinosteel Midwest Corporation Limited to mine hematite ore at Koolanooka and Mungada West is approved by government for implementation.  

Matters addressed in the conditions include the following:

• Protection of Threatened and Priority Ecological Communities;
• Protection of the Declared Rare Flora Tecticornia bulbosa;
• Construction of the Mungada Haul Road;
• Design, siting and footprint of waste dumps;
• Conservation significant reptiles;
• Short range endemic invertebrate fauna;
• Prevention of fauna mortality; and
• Rehabilitation and Mine Closure.

Mungada west pit at Blue Hills. 

New troglobitic spider from the Koolanooka area.