The Mulga East Iron Ore Project (MEIOP) being developed by Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) is located in the Chichester Ranges to the north of Lower Fortescue river valley.

JBS&G was appointed by HPPL in mid-2018 to deliver the primary and secondary environmental approvals for the MEIOP. The MEIOP will potentially comprise multi-open pits over 30km of the valley supported by multiple ROM and waste rock landforms, an ore processing facility, a tailings storage facility and mine infrastructure including rail load-out facilities, workshops, access and service roads, accommodation and an airport. The MEIOP will also include a 50km transport corridor to connect with the existing Roy Hill rail line.

Since commencing work in 2018 the JBS&G team has worked with the HPPL team to complete/undertake Phases 1 and 2 which has included:

• Identification of key risks and environmental factors
• Management of the delivery of the baseline environmental surveys for flora and vegetation, terrestrial fauna (including SRE), subterranean fauna, surface water, groundwater, material characterisation, air quality and noise by a team of specialist sub-consultants
• Approvals mapping and approvals strategy development
• Stakeholder and regulator mapping and strategy development
• Environmental Impact Assessment, digital delivery of survey data and approval preparation
• Project management.

Significant aspects of the MEIOP to date include:

• Completion of the 12-month baseline for key environmental factors: flora and vegetation, terrestrial fauna, surface water and groundwater, air quality and noise
• Completion of an extensive groundwater drilling programme including the installation of 51 monitoring bores, five test bores and completion of five week-long pumping tests.

Work is now moving into Phases 3 and 4 as HPPL progress the early stages of the project engineering design.