The West Pilbara Iron Ore Project Stage 1 – Mine and Rail proposal is to develop and operate eight iron ore deposits 35 to 85 km south of Pannawonica and a heavy-haulage railway that connects the mine area to the Anketell Point Port precinct. The EPA's assessment report (Report 1409) was released on 3 August 2011. The Minister for Environment approved the proposal for implementation, subject to the implementation conditions of Ministerial Statement 881 (30 November 2011).

In August 2015, API Management Pty Ltd (API) submitted a request for a change to the proposal and Ministerial Statement under Sections 45C and 46 of the EP Act, requesting that Ministerial Statement 881 be separated into two for the mine and rail infrastructure components. This would include separating the development envelope into a mine development envelope and rail infrastructure development envelope.

See West Pilbara Iron Ore Project Stage 1 - Mine and Rail for the original assessment relating to Ministerial Statement 881, the subject of EPA Report 1409.

Note: A change to the proponent was approved for Ministerial Statement 1027 on the 16 April 2024, to add Onslow Iron Pty Ltd as a co-proponent. This change to proponent does not relate to Ministerial Statement 1026.