Fresh rebuff for Andrew Forrest’s Pilbara wasteland warning as Rio looks to the 22nd century

Mining giant Rio Tinto has lodged environmental approval documents showing it intends to be producing iron ore in the Pilbara for decades to come.

Rio Tinto's Western Range iron ore project in the Pilbara.

Rio Tinto plans to be mining iron ore in Western Australia’s Pilbara well into the 22nd century, in another rebuff to Andrew Forrest’s claims the region is in imminent danger of becoming a wasteland.

Rio is seeking approval from WA authorities for its East Pilbara Strategic Proposal (EPSP) covering new mines, mine extensions and renewable energy projects over the next 80 years.

The Rio proposal covers more than 27,000sq km, an area twice the size of Greater Sydney, and takes in many of its existing mines in the Pilbara.

Rio estimates that new mining activity will disturb an additional 920sq km within the wider land envelope in the years to 2105.

The WA Environmental Protection Authority opened a seven-day window for public comment on the Rio plans on Monday, and published a 20-page Rio outline of its intentions to deal with water management, Indigenous heritage and other issues.

Rio is grappling with bringing its next generation of mines in the Pilbara into production with chief executive-in-waiting Simon Trott highlighting longer approval processes in recent times.

The mining giant has also had to reset relationships with traditional owners in the five years since it destroyed 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge. Rio appears anxious to avoid having to play catch-up in the future in following the example of BHP, which in 2019 gained approval for a strategic proposal covering its Pilbara footprint over the next 50-100 years.

Rio TInto’s incoming CEO Simon Trott.

The BHP move has allowed it to streamline project approvals by having them classified as derivatives to the overarching strategy ticked off by the WA government.

Rio is hoping to streamline approvals processes in a similar way. In detailing its long-term plans and commitment to the Pilbara, Rio has also opened the door to greater engagement with traditional owners and other government and community stakeholders.

The EPSP will need to go through state and federal government approvals, a process that could take about five years.

The move will not impact Rio projects already before environmental authorities, including its plans to develop the Hope Downs 2 mine in partnership with Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, or the high-grade Rhodes Ridge project involving Mitsui and Perth billionaire Angela Bennett and her family.

However, mining of other deposits or any future extensions of Rhodes Ridge or Rio’s Gudai-Darri operations and other existing mines could be classified as derivative projects if the EPSP is approved.

“The East Pilbara Strategic Proposal will enable a long-term, regional approach to future assessment and development,” Rio told The Australian. “Taking a regional approach allows us to investigate, understand and assess cumulative impacts, cultural and environmental values and future land use at scale.

“The proposal covers potential future developments including mining and renewable energy projects and supporting infrastructure.

“We continue to engage with government, traditional owners and other stakeholders to help better shape responsible and sustainable development in the Pilbara.”

The Rio proposal borders the eastern side and a portion of the southern side of Karijini National Park and takes in the town of Newman. Rio said there would be ongoing consultation and engagement with multiple traditional owners groups and their prescribed body corporates.

Mr Trott, who took over as iron ore boss after Juukan Gorge and had to rebuild relations as well as manage the cultural quarantine of high-grade ore deposits in the fallout, declared in May that iron ore mining in the Pilbara would continue “long after I’m gone, and long after my children’s children are probably gone”.

He was speaking in the wake of several warnings from Fortescue founder and executive chairman Dr Forrest about the Pilbara becoming a wasteland without massive investment in onshore green steelmaking.

“When a huge new supply of a much higher grade product is coming straight into your market, then the right thing to do is change,” Dr Forrest has said of the rise of Africa in iron ore and the challenge faced by the Australian industry.

“If we stick with the future we thought we had, we’re going to be in the past … the old iron ore sector will fall.”

Mr Trott, who officially takes the reins as CEO from Jakob Stausholm on August 25, was back in the Pilbara at the end of last week and said via social media that he had talked to Rio mine supervisors about “the challenges and opportunities they face daily”.

Rio has invested $US6.2bn ($9.5bn) as its share in building the Simandou iron ore mine in the African nation of Guinea, which is expected to start production before the end of year.

Rio has earmarked $US13bn for spending on new mines, plant and equipment in the Pilbara over the next three years.

Originally published as Fresh rebuff for Andrew Forrest’s Pilbara wasteland warning as Rio looks to the 22nd century