As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, June 24

Hamilton Road in Spearwood, which has been closed since the start of the month as authorities work to repair a burst sewerage pipe, has partially reopened as crews finish the clean-up from the spill in Perth’s south.

Water Corporation on Tuesday announced the northbound lane of the road had reopened, while the southbound lane was expected to reopen on Friday morning following restoration of nearby boundary walls, garden beds and lawn.

Sanitation of barbecues and playground and exercise equipment continues at the nearby Watsonia Park, which was inundated by the spill, while contaminated soil was removed at the weekend before gardens will be replanted.

The park will be fully open to the public on Friday, but some replanting will have to wait until spring.

Meanwhile, in Beaconsfield, Bruce Lee Reserve is having its turf stripped by diggers, before new grass is laid.

The park will be fully open to visitors again by Friday, but fencing will remain around the affected areas of the reserve, which usually hosts the popular Freo Farmers Market.

The sewer main in Spearwood burst on June 6, leading to spills in the nearby area and throughout the southern suburbs system, including at Bruce Lee Reserve, with wastewater even leaking into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

Rio Tinto and Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting will tip in US$1.6 billion ($2.5 billion) to develop a new iron ore project in the Pilbara.

Hope Downs 2 will mine two deposits – Hope Downs 2 and Bedded Hilltop – about 80 kilometres north-west of Newman.

In a statement today, Rio Tinto said the deposits would have a combined total annual production capacity of 31 million tonnes, and ore mined would be transported to Hope Downs 1 for processing.

The miner predicted the first ore would come in 2027, and the venture would create about 950 jobs during construction and help sustain a workforce of about 1000 full-time equivalent roles at Greater Hope Downs.

Rio and Hancock are splitting the bill 50-50, each putting forward US$800 million ($1.2 billion).

Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Simon Trott described the project’s state and federal government approvals as a “key milestone” as it invested in the “next generation” of Pilbara iron ore mines.

Hope Downs 2 forms part of Rio’s tranche of replacement projects, which the company said it was expected to invest more than US$13 billion ($20 billion) in over the next three years, and which will have a combined total capacity of about 130 million tonnes per annum.

The Hope Downs joint venture between Hancock and Rio was established in 2006, to take advantage of tenements pegged out by Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock.

The companies developed a series of mines in a complex that stretches between Tom Price and Newman.

The relationship was thrust into the spotlight as part of court proceedings among the warring descendants of Pilbara pioneers Lang Hancock, Peter Wright, and Don Rhodes, who were fighting for their share of royalties that flowed from the lucrative mines.

We’re bringing our blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s what made headlines today:

• Qantas flights from Perth to Europe were diverted following the closure of Qatar’s airspace after Iran launched missiles at a US base there.

• Weary travellers landed back in Perth Airport at 11am on Tuesday, 15 hours after they left the night before, and told media they didn’t know about the Iranian missiles until they landed.

• The WA Labor state executive last night unanimously elected Mark Reed as the new party leader.

• Despite WA’s new big batteries, investment in storage alone is insufficient and WA needs more energy generation as the end of coal approaches and hot summer days increasingly turn into hot summer nights, says the latest review of our state’s electricity supply.

• Rio Tinto and Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting will tip in US$1.6 billion ($2.5 billion) to develop a new iron ore project in the Pilbara.

• Fremantle Press and CircusWA have together jointly purchased their first permanent home: the historic SEC Substation on Fremantle’s Parry Street, with the support of prominent Perth property developer Adrian Fini.

• In parliament, Treasurer Rita Saffioti has had a crack at her counterpart in New South Wales Daniel Mookhey, who delivered his budget today and sent a few barbs WA’s way, likening the state to the Enhanced Games.

• Hamilton Road in Spearwood, which has been closed since the start of the month as authorities work to repair a burst sewerage pipe, has partially reopened as crews finish the clean-up from the spill in Perth’s south.

Thank you again for tuning in today, we’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

Hamilton Road in Spearwood, which has been closed since the start of the month as authorities work to repair a burst sewerage pipe, has partially reopened as crews finish the clean-up from the spill in Perth’s south.

Water Corporation on Tuesday announced the northbound lane of the road had reopened, while the southbound lane was expected to reopen on Friday morning following restoration of nearby boundary walls, garden beds and lawn.

Sanitation of barbecues and playground and exercise equipment continues at the nearby Watsonia Park, which was inundated by the spill, while contaminated soil was removed at the weekend before gardens will be replanted.

The park will be fully open to the public on Friday, but some replanting will have to wait until spring.

Meanwhile, in Beaconsfield, Bruce Lee Reserve is having its turf stripped by diggers, before new grass is laid.

The park will be fully open to visitors again by Friday, but fencing will remain around the affected areas of the reserve, which usually hosts the popular Freo Farmers Market.

The sewer main in Spearwood burst on June 6, leading to spills in the nearby area and throughout the southern suburbs system, including at Bruce Lee Reserve, with wastewater even leaking into the Swan River via Alfred Cove and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

A nice little bit of breaking news for you now: an exclusive on how Fremantle Press and CircusWA have together jointly purchased their first permanent home, the historic SEC Substation on Fremantle’s Parry Street, with the support of prominent Perth property developer Adrian Fini.

The state government will also soon announce $500,000 funding for the two organisations to secure their much-needed permanent home near the intersection of Parry, Quarry and Adelaide streets.

Known arts supporters Adrian and Michela Fini are making the ambitious plan possible with a low-interest loan to the organisations. Adrian Fini is also behind the Wool Stores project, which is touted as WA’s biggest heritage redevelopment since the State Buildings were completed in Perth more than a decade ago and is likely to inject significant residential population and commercial activity into the area.

Press chief executive Alex Allan says the Press has been looking for a permanent home for years with their current cramped office unable to facilitate any visitors or events. She says this will be a game-changer.

Read more in the related article.

An update now on the post we brought you earlier, where passengers on a flight from Perth to Paris were turned around midair after Iran launched a series of missiles at a US base in Qatar.

Weary travellers landed back in Perth Airport at 11am on Tuesday, 15 hours after they left the night before.

And it has emerged the passengers didn’t know about the missile attack until they arrived back to where they had taken off.

Most passengers this masthead spoke to were full of praise for the flight crew, but said they were only told the flight was turning back because airspace over Qatar had closed.

Will Berline, who was heading to France, said the flight didn’t have Wi-Fi, so passengers didn’t know about the Iranian attack until they landed. But he understood why the call was made.

Read Hamish Hastie’s full report here.