Wateranga project
Queensland Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd is the proponent for a new eluvial and hard rock mine to be known as the Wateranga Industrial Minerals Project. The purpose of the mine is to win the minerals ilmenite, feldspar, apatite, muscovite, phlogopite, zircon, corundum and scandium. The proponent lodged a Voluntary EIS application for the project, which was accepted by the department on 8 June 2004. The department is managing the assessment of the project using the EIS process set out in Chapter 3, Part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The proposed project is in the North Burnett Region local government area, 80km south-west of Bundaberg, Central Queensland. The proposal involves mining up to 4.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of minerals for at least 30 years. The proposed mining area of 1551ha is subject to a mining lease (ML) application (MLA 80116). Tailings produced from processing mineral ore would be de-watered and placed back into the void. Half the water separated from the tailings would be recycled in the processing plant. Additional processing water would be extracted from the Burnett River.
The mineral product is proposed to be transported to Bundaberg using semi-trailer and/or B Double trucks via the Gayndah-Mt Perry Road, traveling either north to Mt Perry, through Gin Gin to Bundaberg, or traveling south via Gooroolba to the rail head at Didcot and then either by rail to Bundaberg, or by road via Biggenden and Childers to the Port of Bundaberg.
Kalliwa Creek is a tributary of the Burnett River and is located 500m to the east of the proposed ML boundary. Goodnight Scrub National Park is situated 1km to the east of the ML boundary.
Following a review of the Terms of Reference for the project in December 2008 (including receipt of submissions), an Addendum to the Terms of Reference was issued to the proponent on 3 February 2009. The submission date for the environmental impact statement is now 3 November 2010. The EIS will need to address the requirements of the original terms of reference and the addendum.
The status of the assessment of the project is:
The proponent is now required to prepare the environmental impact statement addressing the Terms of Reference including the addendum. The department's chief executive will invite written submissions from any person in relation to the draft EIS in due course. In the meantime, copies of currently available public documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:
- Revised Initial Advice Statement describing the project;
- Terms of Reference;
- Wateranga Addendum to ToR
For further information about the EIS process for the Wateranga Project, contact the EIS Co-ordinator on telephone 1300 130 372.
Last updated: 14 August 2009