company under investigation over road construc

Mining company under investigation over road construction

By Carmen Brown

Wednesday, 13/03/2013

Mining company Western Desert Resources is under investigation for a potential breach of Commonwealth environmental law in the Northern Territory.

The Federal Environment Department has confirmed that the company, which is planning to build an iron ore mine in the Roper Bar region, is being investigated over the unauthorised construction of a major haul road.

Stuart Blanch, from the NT Environment Centre, says it's unclear how much land has been cleared to allow for the road to be built.

"I don't know if any habitat of any particular threatened species has been damaged, we probably will never know now," he said.

"Certainly the company hasn't consulted with us or the broader community about it.

"Because they put in the road without Federal approval, we don't know what conditions the Commonwealth Government would have placed on the bulldozing of the haul road to protect threatened species habitat."

The ABC has contacted Western Desert Resources for comment.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201303/s3714546.htm