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East Pilbara Strategic Proposal

Project
Proponent: 
Pilbara Iron Company (Services) Pty Ltd
Proposal description: 

Pilbara Iron Company (Services) Pty Ltd, a member of the Rio Tinto group of companies, has developed a strategic proposal to facilitate future development throughout the East Pilbara over the next 80 years.

The key components include:

• new above and below water table mining, and expansions to existing mines

• associated mining activities and infrastructure which commonly includes crushers, conveyors, ore processing facilities (wet and dry), waste rock landforms, stockpiles, tailings storage facilities (including in-pit), train load-out facilities, laydown areas, workshops, administration and accommodation facilities, airports, power generation, dangerous goods and hazardous materials storage facilities, waste disposal, wastewater treatment, and surface water management infrastructure

• groundwater abstraction and management, including the transfer, discharge and recharge of groundwater through Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)

• renewable energy generation and storage, including solar and wind farms, battery storage, and associated activities and infrastructure

• linear infrastructure including water transfer pipelines, haul roads, powerlines, pipelines and conveyor corridors, and rail

• rehabilitation and closure activities associated with future development.

Assessment Number: 
2515
Region: 
Pilbara
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Iron Ore
Last updated: 
February 27, 2026
Current Status: 
Environmental Scoping Document approved
Environmental Scoping Document approved
1. Referral
Comment on this referral: 
East Pilbara Strategic Proposal
Comment period: 
Monday, 28 July, 2025 to Sunday, 3 August, 2025
Referral documentation: 
PDF icon Referral Form.pdf
PDF icon Supporting Document.pdf
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Public Environmental Review
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon East Pilbara Strategic Proposal
Date published: 
Monday, 11 August, 2025
3. Assessment
Scoping
Environmental scoping document: 
PDF icon East Pilbara Strategic Proposal - Final ESD - Approved 27022026
Approved: 
Friday, 27 February, 2026

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/east-pilbara-strategic-proposal