MinRes resumes Onslow haulage after safety review
Diversified miner Mineral Resources (MinRes) has resumed haulage operations on the Onslow Iron dedicated haul road after reaching an agreement with WorkSafe WA on safety controls and risk mitigations.
The company confirmed that haulage recommenced on Friday evening, following a temporary suspension prompted by a crash earlier in the week.
MinRes said its previously announced A$230-million works programme to upgrade the haul road remained on track for completion in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year.
Meanwhile, MinRes has also expanded its transhipping capacity at the Port of Ashburton, with the MinRes Rosily - its fourth transhipper - commencing operations on Saturday. This increases Onslow Iron’s transhipping capacity to 28-million tonnes a year.
The company reaffirmed its full-year volume guidance for the iron-ore project.
The haulage suspension came after an incident last Monday in which two trailers of a road train overturned, though the prime mover and first trailer remained upright, and the operator was unharmed. Alternative contractor vehicles were used to continue operations while the dedicated haul road was closed.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the crash was the sixth on the Onslow network, raising concerns about the safety and design of the 150-km road, which was completed in October last year. Issues with the spray seal and binder have been exacerbated by high temperatures, water ingress, and heavy loads, with recent flooding events further affecting the pavement in certain sections.
MinRes has committed significant investment to road repairs, including seal binder upgrades, cement stabilisation in some areas, and asphalting across the entire length of the haul road.
“The Onslow haul road is the most substantial heavy haul road that’s ever been built in the world,” MinRes MD Chris Ellison said in a recent conference call.
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