Conservation groups have welcomed comments from newly sworn-in WA Mines Minister Daniel Pastorelli that the state government has no plans to lift its uranium mining ban. New WA Mines Minister Daniel Pastorelli. Holly ThompsonIn recent weeks, the WA opposition and the mining industry have ramped up calls to overturn the state’s uranium mining ban. Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House on Wednesday, Conservation Council of WA executive director Matt Roberts said industry should focus on renewable energy sources rather than uranium mining. “Western Australia has a very prudent and popular position, which is to ban uranium mining,” she said.