WA uranium expansion planned

PERTH — In November 2007, the WA Labor government passed legislation outlawing nuclear power plants in WA, and the ALP officially maintains its policy of not allowing the mining and export of uranium. Despite this, mining companies are planning at least $160 million worth of expansion in WA in 2009.

The 2008 edition of the annual Major Resource Project map, produced by the Department of Industry and Resources (DOIR), shows all "proposed or potential projects with a capital expenditure greater than $A20 million" for 2009. Eight projects are clearly marked (see
http://www.doir.wa.gov.au/documents/BI_MineralPetProjectMapDec.pdf).

The mines marked for development are Manyingee in the Pilbara, Kintyre on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert and Nowthanna, Yeelirrie, Lake Way, Lake Maitland, Thatcher Soak and Mulga Rock further south. The Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA has identified many other, smaller deposits where development would not be registered on the DOIR map (see http://www.anawa.org.au/wa/map-wa.html).

From GLW issue 758