MinRes on hunt for in-house lawyer as it pushes ahead with Lamb Creek iron ore project

Mineral Resources has restarted the approvals process for a new iron mine as it searches for a senior legal counsel.

Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison. MinRes has restarted the approvals process for a new iron mine in WA. Picture: Courtney McAllister

Mineral Resources has restarted the approvals process for a new iron mine as it searches for a senior legal counsel to step into the breach amid multiple investigations into the conduct of company co-founder and managing director Chris Ellison and its governance standards.

The legal counsel job shapes as one of the toughest in corporate Australia with the company’s reputation badly damaged by revelations about Mr Ellison’s involvement in tax evasion and dubious third-party deals, including some involving family members.

On the mining front, MinRes is seeking environmental approvals for the 10 million-tonne-a-year Lamb Creek iron ore project in Western Australia’s Pilbara, unfazed by forecasts of a steep fall in prices for the steelmaking commodity in 2025.

The company intends to cart ore iron more than 300km along the Great Northern Highway for export from Port Hedland.

The MinRes move on Lamb Creek comes after it cut hundreds of jobs across its head office and lithium operations in 2024 and shut down high-cost iron ore operations in WA’s Yilgarn region, which employed about 1000 people.

Lamb Creek is expected to replace production from the company’s existing Wonmunna mine as it runs out steam. MinRes is aiming to have the new mine in production by 2025-26 as part of its central Pilbara operations, which rely on exports from a WA government-owned berth at Port Hedland.

The MinRes focus has shifted to the $3bn Onslow Iron project further south, aimed at exporting 35 million tonnes of iron ore a year, that has added to concerns about oversupply as the Chinese economy continues to struggle and Rio Tinto breathes life into the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea.

The Onslow Iron project relies on the jumbo road trains travelling at high frequency on a private haul road and then barges to transfer iron ore to carriers moored offshore.

On the governance front, MinRes is advertising for a new legal eagle to replace senior legal counsel Jenna Mazza.

Ms Mazza moved to the role of specialist legal counsel attached to the board’s ethics and governance committee, formed in the wake of the scandals involving Mr Ellison.

The committee, made up of board members Denise McComish, Susie Corlett and Jacqui McGill, has been tasked with reviewing transactions involving key management personnel and their related parties. The committee will also oversee internal and external investigations.

The committee is also receiving legal assistance from Nick Rohr, who left his job as MinRes general manager of commercial and legal to take up the new role.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has launched an investigation into MinRes, which has come under scrutiny from the ASX and investors over whether it met disclosure obligations around matters involving Mr Ellison.

In November, MinRes announced a plan to replace Mr Ellison as managing director sometime in the next 12-18 months.

Originally published as MinRes on hunt for in-house lawyer as it pushes ahead with Lamb Creek iron ore project