Environment and Resource Management

Rolleston Coal Expansion Project

Project summary

The proponent for the Rolleston Coal Expansion Project (RCEP) is the Rolleston Coal Joint Venture whose joint venture partners comprise Xstrata Coal Queensland Pty Ltd (75 per cent), Sumisho Coal Australia Pty Ltd (12.5 per cent) and Itochu Coal Resources Australia RPW Pty Ltd (12.5 per cent).

The proponent seeks to expand the existing Rolleston Coal Mine (the mine) located in the Bowen Basin, Central Highlands Regional Council area in Central Queensland. The mine is situated 16 km west of Rolleston, approximately 270 km west of Gladstone and 120 km south-east of Emerald. The proposed expansion will encompass mining lease application (MLA) 70415, MLA 70416 and the proposed Springwood MLA, located south and west of MLA 70415 and MLA 70416 respectively.

The proposal is to increase production from the currently approved 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) run-of-mine coal to up to 20 mtpa. The RCEP would consist of up to 10 open-cut pits that would either be extensions to the existing mine operation or new adjacent pits. Overburden would be placed in dumps in predominantly mined out areas and reshaped, topsoiled and rehabilitated. The required vegetation clearing would be undertaken in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws. The project would be supported by existing mine infrastructure including the preparation plant, accommodation village and the rail spur. Overburden would be removed by dragline, supported by excavators or shovels and haul trucks, with the coal extracted and then crushed, sized and blended on-site prior to being railed to domestic markets and to Queensland coal ports for export.

The proposed project would require the following activities:

Anticipated environmental impacts of the project would include:

An initial advice statement providing more detail of the project and its potential environmental impacts is accessible through the link at the bottom of this page. 

Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Queensland)

On 14 October 2009, an application was made by the proponent for an amendment to their existing environmental authority in relation to mineral development licence (MDL) 227, mining lease (ML) 70307, MLA70415 and MLA70516. The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) decided on 27 October 2009 that the application was to be assessed as a non-code compliant level 1 mining project subject to an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth)

The proposed activities on MLA 70415, MLA 70416 and the Springwood MLA were referred (EPBC 2011/5965) to the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, who decided that the proposed project is a controlled action under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The decision stated that the action would be assessed through the Environmental Protection Act 1994 EIS process under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and the State of Queensland under Section 45 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 relating to environmental assessment.

Public notification of final terms of reference (TOR)

The process for the assessment of this project is as follows:

In accordance with section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, DERM’s chief executive has prepared the final TOR for carrying out an EIS for the project. The proponent may submit an EIS to DERM’s chief executive within two years or any longer period decided by DERM’s chief executive.

Further information

Copies of publicly available documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:

For further information regarding the EIS process for this proposal, please contact the EIS Co-ordinator or email <eis@derm.qld.gov.au>.

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Last updated 12 January 2012

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