East End No.5 Mine Project
A mining lease application has been made in the joint names of Cement Australia (Exploration) Pty Ltd and Cement Australia (Queensland) Pty Ltd which are part of the Cement Australia group of companies.
The Cement Australia Group mines limestone and clay at the East End Mine, located 7 kilometres south west of Mount Larcom, for manufacturing cement clinker at Fishermans Landing north of Gladstone. Mining commenced in 1980 and has mainly been carried out on Mining Lease No. 3631, which adjoins the proposed mining lease to the north west.
Exploration has identified significant resources within the proposed mining lease. The resource is located close to existing infrastructure used by the existing mine including rail loops, railways, road access, rail loading plant and ancillary mine facilities.
As the resource adjoins the current East End Mine, its exploitation would involve an extension of the existing mining operations to the south east across the common lease boundary. The same open cut mining methods currently employed on ML3631 would be used on the new lease. Vegetation (mainly comprising pasture grass) would be progressively removed together with the upper topsoil layer and either used directly for rehabilitation works or stockpiled for future rehabilitation use. Clay overburden would then be removed by hydraulic excavator or front end loader to haul trucks and transported to the primary crusher or adjacent surge pile on ML 3631.
Underlying clay and limestone and massive limestone strata would be fragmented by drilling and blasting and loaded out to the primary crusher pile by excavator, front end loader and haul truck combinations. Mining operations would be carried out below the water table which would require the workings to be dewatered. No mineral processing would be carried out on the proposed lease. A series of benches with elevations corresponding with those on ML 3631 would be developed and advanced sequentially. Vertical separation between benches would be about 15 metres. Operational and final batter angles and bench widths would be designed to achieve the required level of safety.
The mining process would generate a quantity of material unsuitable for clinker production including high alkali limestone, volcanic rock (which occurs as dykes within the limestone deposit and in sidewalls) and clay materials in excess of requirements or with unsuitable chemical characteristics. These materials would be removed to ML 80002 and 80127 which are dedicated for this purpose. A water filled void would remain after mining.
Approximately 2.5 million tonnes are mined annually and this rate of mining would continue on the new lease. It is anticipated that mining would commence in the proposed mining lease in about 5 years.
No additional infrastructure or ancillary facilities are required apart from access and haul road construction, fencing and establishing environmental controls.
The proponent applied for, and has been granted, approval to prepare a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project.
EIS process
In accordance with section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Cement Australia (Exploration) Pty Ltd and Cement Australia (Queensland) Pty Ltd has prepared and submitted to the chief executive of the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) a draft terms of reference (TOR) for carrying out an EIS for the proposal.
The process for the assessment of this project (with the current stage highlighted) is as follows:
Draft terms of reference (TOR) for the EIS will be available for public review and comment from Monday, 17 August 2009, until close of business on Friday, 25 September 2009. The DERM’s chief executive invites written comments from any person in relation to the draft TOR within that period. Please address written comments to:
The Chief Executive
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Attention: The EIS Coordinator (East End No.5 Mine Project)
PO Box 15155
CITY EAST QLD 4002
Copies of publicly available documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:
For further information about the EIS process for the East End No.5 Mine Project contact the EIS Co-ordinator on telephone 1300 130 372.
Last updated: 14 August 2009