Australian Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg has approved development of Western Australia's Mulga Rock Project by Perth-based resource company Vimy Resources.
The approval (EPBC Act referral 2013/7083) is subject to specified conditions. The uranium project is located approximately 240km from north-east Kalgoorlie in the Great Victoria Desert.
With this approval, Vimy Resources can begins works at the project. Before the minister’s consent, any development at the project was prohibited under s.74AA of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Vimy Resources chairman Cheryl Edwardes said: "This is the final environmental approval required before work can commence.
"This approval has been more than three years in the making and has involved considerable effort on the part of all those involved. I am grateful for their efforts and would like to thank them all."
Vimy resources originally referred the Mulga Rock Project under the EPBC Act in November 2013.
In January 2014, the Department of Environment approved the project for controlled action that would be assessed under the bilateral agreement with the Western Australian State Government. The proposal was amended in December 2015 to show an increase in footprint that had resulted from a feasibility study.
The Mulga Rock Project has the capacity to produce 1,360t of uranium oxide per annum for 17 years.
This undeveloped uranium project is expected to create nearly 490 new jobs in Western Australia and provide around A$19m ($14.42m) per annum to the state government from royalty payments and payroll taxes.
