Second miner eyes Port Lincoln for ore exports

Lincoln Minerals, which has a tenement nearby at Barns, has made clear its desire to follow Centrex Metals, which successfully applied to the South Australian Government to export from its Wilgerup mine, through the south-western Spencer Gulf port.

That green light had come despite opposition from the local council and the fishing and aquaculture industries, which want to protect the region's most valuable export, tuna.

"The Gum Flat project is adjacent to a railway line and major highway leading to and only 20km from Port Lincoln, which has received approval for export of iron ore from the Wilgerup hematite deposit on central Eyre Peninsula," Lincoln Minerals managing director John Parker said.

"That approval may open the port for Lincoln iron ore consignments since the Barns DSO hematite is very similar in composition to the Wilgerup DSO mineralisation."

The miner believes up to 200m tonnes of hematite and magnetite could be mined at Barns.

The news has caused alarm at Port Lincoln council, which is already lobbying state parliament's environment, resources and development committee for a review of the Centrex go-ahead.

"This suggestion from Lincoln Minerals confirms my worst fears but they can't be blamed because Centrex has been approved, so why shouldn't they?" Port Lincoln mayor Peter Davis told the ABC.

"It simply compounds the inevitable consequences for Port Lincoln – mineral exports should not occur out of Port Lincoln full stop."