Ensham Central project
Ensham Resources Pty Ltd is the proponent for an expansion of the existing Ensham open-cut coal mine to be known as the "Ensham Central Project" (the project). The proponent lodged a Voluntary EIS application for the project that was accepted by the department on 2 November 2004. The department is managing the assessment of the project using the EIS process set out in Part 1 of Chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The project proposal is located 40km east of Emerald and 200km west of Rockhampton, within Emerald and Peak Downs shires, Central Queensland. The project involves expanding current mining operation capacity from 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of run-of-mine (ROM) coal to up to 20Mtpa of ROM coal by incorporating an underground mining component as well as increasing the current 12Mtpa open-cut mine life by 6 years. The proponent holds the following tenements relevant to the project:
- mineral development licence 217 (located in Emerald Shire and Peak Downs Shire);
- infrastructure lease 7460 (located in Peak Downs Shire); and
- the Ensham mining lease 7459 (located in Peak Downs Shire and Emerald Shire).
A new mining lease application will be submitted over part of mineral development licence 217 as part of the project.
Mining activities involve extending existing open-cut coal mining and commencing underground mining to the west of the existing Ensham Mine. The mining area includes a section of the floodplain of the Nogoa River. However, the main channel of the Nogoa River will not be disturbed by mining. Raw coal from the expanded operations will be processed in the upgraded coal handling and processing plant on ML7460, which will include a new washplant. Coal will be transported via train to the Port of Gladstone for export.
A progression of levee banks are proposed along the Nogoa River to prevent flooding of the mining operations. The mined open-cut void in the Nogoa River floodplain will be backfilled and rehabilitated to re-instate the floodplain. Final voids and regraded waste rock dumps may remain outside of floodplain areas. Earthworks will be undertaken as required in surface areas subject to subsidence to restore natural flows in Winton Creek.
The proponent's EIS addressed a range of environmental issues, including effects of flooding across the Nogoa River floodplain associated with levee bank construction, backfilling voids and re-instating floodplain areas and rehabilitation outside of floodplain areas. The department's EIS assessment report concluded that the project was suitable to proceed and recommended mitigation measures to address the potential impacts of the project. The EIS Assessment Report has been issued to the proponent, and is available for inspection (a link to the document is provided below).
Copies of publicly available documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:
- Final Terms of Reference;
- Initial Advice Statement (PDF, 107K)* describing the project; and
- Public Notice (PDF, 53K)* (s51 EP Act)
- EIS Assessment Report. (PDF, 2.9M)*
For further information about the EIS process for the Ensham Central Project, contact the Emerald District Office on telephone (07) 4982 4555.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 07 February 2007