Iron Ore
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Australia Urged to Acquire Interest in NC Deposits
From Our Own Correspondent
Noumea, Oct. 27.
THE time has come when Australia should step in and acquire an in terest in the vast iron ore resources of New Caledonia. , , .
Because of lack of good local coal, the impossibility of economic transport to Europe, and the fact that export to Aus tralia or Japan was not seriously con sidered, industrial utilisation of these deposits has been neglected until recently.
The Nickel Society is among those with declared deposits, “in view of eventual export to Australia”, as a report of the Noumea Mines Department put it.
An explanation of this significant re mark is to be found in the fact that New Caledonian iron ore deposits are rela tively easy to exploit. In fact, they are nearer the port of Newcastle than Iron Knob in South Australia or Yampi Sound in WA. It would be easy for colliers bringing fuel to Noumea smelters to carry iron ore back to Newcastle. In this way, the industries of the two countries would be firmly linked to their mutual benefit.
It also would assist toward conservation of the limited Australian iron deposits.