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A privately held mining company is seeking to double its annual production at a remote West Australian salt lake, 900 kilometres north of Perth. There are fears the expansion could threaten the oasis-like wetlands crowning Lake MacLeod, a 2,000 square kilometre lease that stretches from Carnarvon to the Ningaloo Coast. The pools are fed by springs of underground water from the Indian Ocean, known as upwellings, which create refuges for mangroves, fish and migratory shorebirds. Emeritus professor of environmental sciences at Edith Cowan University, Pierre Horwitz, said the development "needs to walk very carefully". "The first thing we need to make sure of is that the activities in the southern part of the lake don't lead to impacts on the hydrology of the northern parts of the lake," he said. Leichhardt Salt's Lake MacLeod operations currently produce about 1.5 megatonnes of salt per year. The company hopes to double production by 2027, according to an application recently filed with the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). The works would see the project's crystalliser pools increased by 300 hectares and the annual brine flow doubled. New pump stations were also spruiked for construction, as well as the relocation of an existing flood levee further north. The site is already licensed to produce 6.1 megatonnes of salt annually, although Leichhardt Salt says the expansion is needed to achieve that level of production. A 'policy vacuum' The top section of Lake MacLeod, known as the Northern Ponds, has previously been floated for recognition by UNESCO and under the international Ramsar Convention. "Lakes traditionally haven't been seen as particularly worthy aspects of our environment," Dr Horwitz said. He said the whole-of-lake mining lease meant Lake MacLeod had not had the same intensive level of scrutiny as areas of similar significance, like the Ningaloo Coast. Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin called for the expansion to be referred to WA's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). "There's really a bit of a policy vacuum and a lack of management of the area," he said. A DWER spokesperson said the department had extended the public comment period until October 31, at which point it would decide whether to involve the EPA. Economic boost Since acquiring the lease from Rio Tinto last year, Leichhardt Salt said it had created an extra 32 jobs at Lake MacLeod, taking the current workforce to about 150. Chief executive Scott Nicholas said the company intended to hire another 50 direct employees before the end of the year. "Leichhardt is committed to ensuring all new roles are residential and benefit Carnarvon and the region," he said. The company is simultaneously seeking environmental approval for the Eramurra Solar Salt Project, south-west of Karratha. Gascoyne Development Commission chief executive Tim Bray welcomed growth in the industry. Carnarvon Shire president Eddie Smith said the boost to Carnarvon's population would be "fantastic", but acknowledged more housing was needed to support it.
