Stoking the furnace

摘要

A lot has gone sour in the past year for WA's iron ore hopefuls. Prices of the steel-making commodity have slumped by more than a third, skittish investors have deserted the sector in droves and credit facilities have all but dried up.Even global giant BMP Billiton has scaled back spending, postponing a decision on its $20 billion outer harbour project in the Pilbara until the second half of next year at the earliest.For smaller players, the sector is no longera guaranteed meal ticket, particularly if youhave a project needing capital, a port or arailway line.