PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The federal government has given environmental approval for the development of the Yeelirrie uranium project, in Western Australia.

The federal approval followed state government approval in January 2017.

The GM of project developer Cameco Australia, Simon Williamson, has welcomed the decision, noting that it had been a rigorous and extensive environmental assessment process. The company had worked with the federal government department over the two-year process to demonstrate how it would reduce and manage any environmental risks, he said.

However, Cameco has not promised a speedy development of Yeelirrie, noting that any decision to advance the company’s projects in Western Australia would be dependent on market conditions.

“While we are happy to have this approval in place, current market conditions are challenging and we expect them to remain so in the near term,” said Williamson.

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has welcomed the environmental approval, pointing out that Australia had the world's largest endowment of uranium resources and is well placed to continue to supply growing global markets with affordable, near zero emissions energy.

“This development will be another part of Australia’s contribution to the transition to a lower carbon economy,” MCA CEO Tania Constable said.

“The length of this approval process again underlines the need for certainty from policy-makers, including streamlined laws, which protect our environment while removing duplication and red tape as unnecessary overlap.

“Australia’s complex and duplicative project assessment and approval processes generate unnecessary delays and uncertainty, presenting a barrier to attracting vital international investment.”

The MCA has called on the federal and state governments to stop delays on mining project approvals, which Constable said threatened job creation and hurt Australia’s regional and remote communities.

The Yeelirrie project is considered one of Australia’s largest undeveloped uranium deposits, and has an estimated resource of 127.3-million pounds. Cameco is proposing to mine up to 7 500 t/y of uranium oxide concentrate from the Yeelirrie deposit, which is located about 420 km north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and 70 km southwest of Wiluna.