The Australian High Commission is pinning its hopes on the Odisha government and the Centre's new Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) MMDR Bill to pave the way for revival of its mining giant- Rio Tinto's iron ore mining project in the state.

The mining behemoth was to take up the $2 billion project jointly with state controlled miner- Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC). However, of late, OMC's reluctance to revive the project seemed to have queered the pitch for Rio Tinto.