BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd’s proposed consolidation and expansion of its Jimblebar operations near Newman has reached another milestone, with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) publishing responses to submissions on the project.
The Jimblebar Hub Combined Proposal would see BHP merge three existing iron ore operations — the Jimblebar Iron Ore Revised Proposal (Ministerial Statement 1126), Orebody 18 (MS 439, MS 1012), and Orebody 31 (MS 1021) — into a single, large-scale hub.
Located around 40 kilometres east of Newman in the Shire of East Pilbara, the project sits within a 24,684-hectare development envelope and includes plans for both above and below water table mining, overburden storage areas, a beneficiation plant, overland conveyor systems, creek diversions, and extensive supporting infrastructure such as roads, haul routes, and pipelines.
If approved, the project would require the clearing of up to 12,262 hectares of native vegetation.
BHP has forecast a project life of up to 46 years, with plans acknowledging the possible formation of pit lakes at closure.
Importantly, the development lies wholly within the Nyiyaparli Native Title determination area, requiring continued engagement with Traditional Owners as part of the approvals process.
The EPA is assessing the proposal under section 38 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA).
The agency last updated the project’s assessment on August 20, 2025, noting that responses to public submissions had now been released, marking a key step in the environmental review.
BHP has positioned the amalgamation as a way of streamlining its Pilbara operations and enabling long-term development, while environmental groups and local stakeholders are scrutinising the scale of land clearing and potential water impacts.
The assessment, identified as Assessment Number 2397, will continue to be considered by the EPA before any recommendations are made to the Minister for Environment.
