Why wouldn't those various interests just complain about the next area being surveyed? Why would they stop after the first?

The ecological studies also cover the surrounding areas. They can’t say that absolutely everything is significant so to make the stronger case they pile the significance into the area they think is the likely site to be developed. Then the miners are ‘responding’ to the feedback by relocating to a less significant location that already has been ecologically studied and deemed insignificant.

If you say no 100% of the time, your work product won't be worth much.