Residents and business owners have lodged complaints about health, property damage, and the long-term impact of iron ore mining in Geraldton, Western Australia. Local interests are particularly concerned about dust from the iron ore industry. State investigators have visited Geraldton to assess the issue and launch investigations.
Dean Parker has erected a protest sign outside his shop at Geraldton 's Fishermen's Wharf. A surge in dust-related complaints from Geraldton residents has sparked two state government investigations.
Locals believe the dust on their homes and boats is corrosive and linked to a ramping up iron ore industry. State investigators visited Geraldton last week to speak with residents and business owners who have lodged dust complaints. Fears Geraldton could turn into "the next Port Hedland" are intensifying as dust from iron ore operations blankets homes and businesses in parts of the coastal city.
ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisResidents have raised concerns about health, property damage and the long-term impact of expanding mining in Western Australia's Midwest. Investigators from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation visited Geraldton last week after a surge in dust-related complaints. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisThe agency has launched two investigations and will assess the characteristics of the dust and its likely sources. Residents and businesses are reporting a noticeable increase in dust around their properties.
Geraldton's port sits beside the CBD, with rail lines and roads carrying iron ore looping past suburbs, schools and the hospital. Two major exporters dominate the trade: Chinese‑owned Karara Mining, which ships magnetite concentrate, and WA‑based Fenix Resources, which exports hematite. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisTheir transport methods differ sharply. Fenix uses covered quad road trains, while Karara hauls ore in uncovered rail wagons.
Costing money Some of the dust Dean Parker has gathered from his gutters at Fishermen's Wharf, situated next to the Geraldton Port. Marine service provider Dean Parker regularly sweeps magnetic black dust from his workshop gutters at the Geraldton Fishermen's Harbour, which he believes is magnetite.
"It gets into the paint, into the nooks and crannies, it starts the corrosion process. "He said dust could also be found along railway tracks leading into the port and was damaging sheds, boats and infrastructure. Crayfisher Peter Bailey said the problem had become worse in the past year, and he was watching his shed rust away.
ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis"We can come in at five in the afternoon, wash the boats, and leave early the next morning, and the boats are covered in dust.
" Mr Bailey said there was a marked difference between normal "dirt-based" dust and what was sticking to his boat, which was difficult to remove. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisHe was spending $25,000 resurfacing one of his boats — work he would normally do every five or six years but was now forced to do after just two. Fishers are washing the dust from their boats to try to reduce corrosion.
Beachlands resident Anna Kolosinska said her home had become increasingly coated in black dust or "soot" over the past five years, which she believed was blowing from the rail line used by Karara. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis"I'm noticing the floors especially having dust build up and on the windows as well as outside. Geraldton Port is located within the town centre, in close proximity to residential areas.
Beachlands local Ralf Mulks scraped dust from his exterior wall and sent it for laboratory analysis. Mr Mulks has led a campaign encouraging the community to formally lodge dust complaints to DWER. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisRespiratory physician Scott Claxton said particle size was important when assessing health risks. Scott Claxton says more research is needed into the long-term health impacts of exposure to airborne particles.
But he said substances in dust could still be absorbed into the body as they dissolve in the respiratory system.
"It's similar to if you swallowed it, you'll absorb it, if you breathe it in, you can absorb it as well," he said. But Dr Claxton said grain dust was more likely to cause immediate respiratory irritation. Last year, Mid West Port handled a record 19.1 million tonnes of cargo, mostly iron ore. In the past 15 years, throughput at the Geraldton Port has roughly doubled to 19.1 million tonnes, driven largely by iron ore.
ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisLong-term growth plans could eventually see capacity expand to as much as 50 million tonnes per year. Former mayor Shane Van Styn, who lives 400 metres from the port, said the scale of growth raised serious questions.
"No-one's contemplated this volume of iron ore and dust coming into a port located this close to a town site," he said. Shane Van Styn supports mining and iron ore exports but says Mid West Ports should share more information with the community.
"We need to demonstrate our credentials as being a leading port city that can do its work without polluting its people and creating the next Port Hedland. "Hundreds of homes near its port have been surrendered under aThe 13.5 million tonnes exported through Geraldton last year is small by comparison, but the Midwest industry is steadily expanding.
Fenix Resources aims to lift annual exports from 4.5 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes, while Karara Mining has long-term plans to remain in the region and operates infrastructure capable of handling up to 16 million tonnes annually. Mid West Port uses a netting designed to help contain dust but strong summer winds can weaken and degrade it over time.
The rail line and road access to the port loop through residential suburbs and past facilities such as schools and hospitals. City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune said coexistence between exporters and residents was possible, but improvements were needed.
"We've got to balance the economic benefit it has to our community on top of the livability of a town," he said. "There's some users of the port that are very good with the control of their dust, and then there's others that probably leave a little bit to be desired; it's back to the 1970s style of how they transport their product.
"ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis"On the roads, if you're not covered, you'll be pinged for an unsecured load," he said. Mid West Ports says it is working with the department investigating dust associated with rail freight operations. He supports more dust monitoring outside the port and greater transparency about the dust contents.
Mid West Ports declined an interview but said it was monitoring dust, and had invested in dust‑mitigation projects, including a dust‑tamer fence, and that dust exceedence incidents had decreased.
"DWER is currently investigating dust associated with rail freight operations, with Mid West Ports supporting this work," the statement said. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisThe ABC requested interviews with the minister for environment and Karara Mining; the minister declined and Karara did not respond. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris LewisMember for Geraldton Kirrilee Warr said the community was frustrated by the silence of government.
"We are hearing from everyone … even further inland throughout more agricultural areas around dust coming from moving trains," the Nationals MP said. Mid West Ports declined an interview request, but said in a statement it had invested in dust mitigation. Fenix Resources executive chair John Welborn said the company was upgrading its port facilities to reduce dust as it expanded, and if the company moved to rail, it would use covered wagons.
Two of its wharf sheds are connected to a covered conveyor system, but the remaining shed is not, and he acknowledged it could generate dust and road staining. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis"The only way we can get iron ore into that shed currently is by driving the trucks into the shed and side tipping onto the floor of the shed," he said.
"That is a very dusty activity … dust can escape from that shed, but also the truck has to drive on top of the material that it's just unloaded. " Mr Welborn said Fenix would spend $8 million this year connecting the remaining shed to the covered conveyor system, which would "see a huge improvement". Fenix currently transports all of its iron ore to port by truck but plans to use covered trains as it expands.
He said dust during ship loading was the port's responsibility and not a major issue. On concerns about the health impact of inhaling iron ore dust, Mr Welborn said Fenix products were rigorously tested as part of its export licence. ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis"Particularly in the Pilbara, there's been an enormous amount of work done on iron oxide, which is effectively the dust that's created by iron ore," he said.
Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm AEST on Sunday or stream anytime onThere are concerns about what may be entering nearby waterways, as fishers wash their boats at the wharf daily. Get our local newsletter, delivered free each Thursday
Geraldton Western Australia Port Hedland Iron Ore Industry Agency For Water And Environmental Regulation State Government Investigations Corrosive Dust Property Damage Health Concerns Sustainability Exports
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