In Western Australia's Pilbara region, the iron ore industry keeps the lights on and generates hundreds of billions of dollars for Australia's economy.

But in the coastal community of Onslow, plans to export iron ore from the local port are concerning residents, who say it will turn the town into a "mini–Port Hedland" where dust blankets the community only to "kill local tourism".

Their concerns are backed by the Shire of Ashburton, which says proposals to export from the small facility on the eastern edge of Onslow would bring significant dust pollution to the town and allow road trains to drive on residential roads.

Pollution linked to the industry is a problem across the Pilbara, with the state government currently spending millions of dollars on a voluntary buyback scheme in Port Hedland's dusty west end.

The government is also conducting a review of BHP's environmental licences for mines near Newman after it was revealed the company exceeded its dust pollution limit.

Locals against 'horrendous' exports

Brian Winsor is an Onslow resident and has worked in the resources sector in northern WA for 35 years.

He said the town needed to learn the lessons of Port Hedland and say no to the industry's plans.

"The traffic management would be unbearable, plus the pollution with the iron ore dust into the water and into the air, it would be unfeasible," Mr Winsor said.

Shire has an alternative plan

Shire of Ashburton president Kerry White said the export proposal was led by four junior miners, Alien Metals, Brockman Mining, CZR and Strike Resources, which all had iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

Ms White said the companies would export more than 15 million tonnes of iron ore from the Port of Onslow over a period of at least five years.

She said while the resources industry played an important role in Onslow and the broader shire, the town of about 1,000 people was accustomed to a relaxed lifestyle and relatively untouched environment.

Ms White said this made Onslow an attractive destination for tourists, but heavy traffic dominated by road trains and increased dust pollution would put a stop to that.

"We don't want to turn Onslow into a mini–Port Hedland," she said.

Ms White said the shire had an alternative plan and would lobby the miners to build a new export facility about 30 kilometres north of Onslow at a place called Yardie Landing and a private road leading to it.

"That would be a great proposal if we could get it up and running. We don't want iron ore coming into the town," she said.

This would require support and approval by the state government, but the ABC understands Minister for Transport and Ports Rita Saffioti has not been briefed on the shire's proposal.

Yardie also pristine

Felicity Brennan has lived in Onslow for 29 years and is also strongly opposed to iron ore being exported from the town.

"It would kill it [the town]. I don't want it all," she said.

"It's been on the cards for years, but really there's not been much consultation."

However, Ms Brennan had reservations about the environmental impacts of building a new facility at Yardie Landing.

She wants the shire to release more information about their plan.

"That's a sensitive area," Ms Brennan said.

The ABC contacted Alien Metals, Brockman Mining, CZR and Strike Resources for comment, with only Alien Metals commenting before the deadline.

A spokesperson said the company was "fully supportive of any infrastructure that support's Australia's export industry," and would work with the shire on the Yardie Landing proposal.