New mine adds to WA's iron ore clout

24/8/02
Premier Geoff Gallop today opened a new $825million iron ore mine in Western Australia's East Pilbara region, which will significantly strengthen the State's $5.2billion iron ore industry and reinforce our reputation as an international resources powerhouse.
The West Angelas iron ore mine will eventually produce 20 million tonnes per annum.
The Premier said West Angelas was an important new development for Western Australia and one of many successful new resource development projects coming onstream in 2002 and beyond.
"With the recent $25billion contract for LNG to China, WA is experiencing one of its most exciting times since the gold rush in the 1890's and the iron ore boom in the 1960's," Dr Gallop said.
"Business investment has driven recent strong economic growth and this is expected to continue in 2002-03 with 9.5 per cent growth forecast. This is largely due to the continued successes of our resource industry, which has responded to the increasingly competitive nature of world markets by achieving significant productivity improvements.
"WA presently supplies about 35 per cent of the world's seaborne traded iron ore.
"Developments like West Angelas, and the promise of new projects from BHP Billiton, Hamersley Iron and others are expected to help WA pass Brazil as the world's number one iron ore producer by 2010.
"This is exciting news for Western Australia's Iron Ore industry and equally good news for Western Australians."
West Angelas will create 110 permanent jobs, in addition to the 1200 created during its two-year construction. Local Aboriginal workers will also train and work at the facility.
The mine will produce high quality Marra Mamba iron ore, which has high iron content and low levels of impurities.
Robe River has secured its first long term sale contracts with key Japanese customers and shipments of iron ore from the mine commenced in July 2002.
Development of the project also resulted in a new 60-km rail spur line linked to the Hamersley Iron railway and new and upgraded port facilities at Cape Lambert.
West Angelas is owned and operated by Robe River Iron Associates, a joint venture comprising Rio Tinto, Mitsui, Nippon Steel and Sumitomo.
Premier's office: 9222 9475