Mineral Resources (MinRes) is planning to build a new iron ore production centre in Western Australia with a capacity of 30 million tonnes/year, Kallanish notes. This planned Ashburton hub will include the Bungaroo South and Kumina mines.

''The outlook for Mineral Resources is positive, notwithstanding the impacts related to COVID-19 and the cost pressures creeping into the West Australian resources sector,'' the company said.

It notes that construction will start in September 2021 and complete before end-2023.

The Ashburton hub is near the port town of Onslow. Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison said he thought Ashburton would still be able to survive when the iron ore price went down. ''When the transhippers are running, Onslow will be our lowest cost port in WA and that'll be the fourth port that we operate out of,'' he said.