Iron ore remains 'backbone' of WA's mining industry, says government

Minerals production led Western Australia's resources sector in the fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY25) with $171 billion in sales, according to the latest Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest released by the Western Australia Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration. In particular, iron ore generated A$122 billion ($88.2 billion) in sales or 71.3% of the total, making it the top commodity overall.

"Iron ore continued to be the backbone of the local mining industry with strong sales, employment, and exploration spending driven by resilient prices and sustained production volumes," said Chris Shaw, director general of the department. Western Australia (WA) produced 864 million dry tonnes of iron ore in FY25, marginally lower