❓ Question regarding a review of iron ore development in the mid-west, focusing on its scope, impact on developers, and environmental considerations. The Minister assures a balanced approach to mining and environmental protection.
AnsweredQoN 933Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IRON ORE INDUSTRY - MID-WEST
I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe and the Leader of the Opposition to order. Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr G. WOODHAMS : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will start from the beginning. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November - Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the second time. Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr G. WOODHAMS : I am normally able to read out these questions. I will read it again for the third time for the benefit of those who might have missed what I said. I refer to the minister’s joint media statement with the Minister for the Environment of 28 November in which the Carpenter government announced that it would review the development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west. Given that this review also seeks to protect the biodiversity of the area, I now ask - (1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(1) Why does this stringent review apply only to the mid-west? (2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(2) Can the minister explain to the house what a floristic community is? (3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(3) What impact will this review have on potential developers in the region? (4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(4) Is it possible that mining projects will not go ahead because of this review? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
I thank the member for Greenough for the question. (1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
(1)-(4) The review, which should take between four and six months, will consider the environmental, social and economic factors involving the iron ore industry in the mid-west. The iron ore industry has been operating for some three years now, but it is set to ramp up from what we call the stage 1 developments to stage 2, which will involve a considerable increase in tonnage and, therefore, throughput at the Geraldton port, and hopefully the development of a deepwater port just north of Geraldton at Oakajee. In simple terms, the aim is to have a planned and proper development of the iron ore industry in the mid-west so that we will get the best of both worlds. We will have the benefit of the iron ore being mined and at the same time we will protect any endangered species or any special floristic communities. The member asked what a floristic community is. It is a term new to me. Basically, it is an area in which there is a special set of flora that is not replicated anywhere else. Taken to the nth degree, we could basically say that every square metre of Western Australia is a floristic community, but of course we do not mean that. It is where there are very special groups of plants that are not replicated anywhere else, and floristic communities do not occur everywhere. Of course, in the mid-west, all the iron ore formations are on banded iron formations, or BIFs. There are eight or nine of them. First of all, we will study whether there are any special floristic communities or rare and endangered species on those banded iron formations, and at the same time find out which is the best from a mining point of view, so that we get the best for mining and the best for the environment. Therefore, it will be a win-win situation for both the mining industry and the environment. Whatever happens, we want to make sure that the Geraldton area and the mid-west continue to boom, as they have been doing for the past two or three years.
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