Donna Faragher Environment Minister of Western Australia toured Sinosteel Midwest Corporation Koolanooka Direct Shipping Ore Project 160 kilometers south east of Geraldton.
The tour was part of an event organized by the Geraldton Iron Ore Alliance to launch a cooperative environmental research project into feral goats in the Mid West region. The study will be funded by GIOA members including Sinosteel Midwest.
Mr Giulio Casello COO of Sinosteel Midwest said the launch of the cooperative study provided the ideal opportunity to showcase some of the things the company is doing to meet and exceed their environmental responsibilities at its iron ore mine site at Koolanooka.
He said that “Sinosteel Midwest has committed to several measures for the Koolanooka/Blue Hills Project which will contribute both directly and indirectly to offset environmental impacts within project areas.”
Mr Casello said “A parcel of land within the Koolanooka Threatened Ecological Community of approximately 2,500ha will be fenced and managed to restrict intrusion of sheep and feral goats. At Blue Hills, the company will relinquish 5,270ha of tenements to directly offset the impacts of mining within the area.”
He said that “We have also committed USD 100,000 to the DEC for conservation management initiatives such as weed eradication, fencing for goat control, and fire and access management.”
Mr Casello said “These offsets are part of our wider environmental management program which includes proactive Malleefowl conservation measures, studies into reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a rehabilitation and restoration plan incorporating a strategic partnership with the Botanic Garden and Parks Authority based in Kings Park in Perth.”
The GIOA funded cooperative study which was launched by Minister Mr Faragher in Morawa involves the Department of Environment and Conservation, Murdoch and Curtin universities and property owners in the region.
This research will assess how native vegetation responds to goat removal and will provide land managers with a sustainable approach to managing the goat populations in the Mid West. Feral goats are considered to be the single greatest threat to native vegetation in the Mid West region of Western Australia. They have a major destructive influence on the ecosystem as a result of over grazing.
