Teresa Coal Project

Project summary
Queensland environmental impact statement (EIS) process
Commonwealth assessment process
Public notification of final terms of reference (TOR)
Further information

Project summary

Linc Energy Ltd proposes to develop an underground coal mine located 17 km north of Emerald in the Bowen Basin. The proponent has applied for mining leases (ML 70442 and ML 70405) covering approximately 13,000 hectares. Coal would be mined at a rate of up to eight million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of run-of-mine (ROM) coal which after processing would produce 6.4 Mtpa of export quality pulverised coal injection (PCI) coal for up to 30 years.

The project contains a total resource of approximately 310 million tonnes in the target Corvus II seam, which ranges from 130 m to 370 m deep with an average thickness of 2.6 m.

Mining would be by retreat longwall extraction. The mine layout provides for panels up to 6 km long and 300 m wide. Mine access would be via two drifts including an 840 m long conveyor drift and a 1200 m long personnel and equipment drift extending from the surface to the coal seam subcrop at about 140 m deep. Ventilation shafts would be required along the main roadway as mining progresses. A system of underground panel belts would load coal onto a central underground truck belt and then to the drift conveyor, which would discharge onto a ROM stockpile on the surface. ROM coal would be fed through a coal sizing station and transferred to an on-site coal handling and preparation plant. PCI product coal would be discharged to a stockpile area for temporary storage. Coarse and fine rejects would be discharged to disposal areas. Waste rock produced during the excavation of drifts and ventilation shafts would be used around the site for construction or disposed in a waste rock dump. Product coal would be transferred to a loadout bin located at an on-site rail loop. Options to transport coal from the mine site to existing rail to port infrastructure will be documented in the environmental impact statement (EIS).

Site access by road would be from the Gregory Highway, which passes from north to south through ML 70442.

A subsidence assessment will be completed during the EIS process.

The total workforce required would be 500 during construction and 380 during operations. The construction workforce will be accommodated in either temporary on-site accommodation, or in established accommodation in surrounding towns. Accommodation options for the operations workforce will be documented in the EIS.

Annual raw water requirements are expected to be 3000 megalitres per annum. A SunWater allocation from the Nogoa–Mackenzie water supply scheme is likely to be required to meet water requirements until sufficient groundwater can be extracted from the underground mine to reduce reliance on external sources. The potential impacts of groundwater drawdown and changes to groundwater quality on neighbouring bores during mine dewatering and site activities will be documented in the EIS.

The 66 kilovolt Lilyvale–Emerald transmission line intersects the site and the proponent proposes to connect to this line to provide power during mine construction. Ergon Energy is proposing an upgrade to the Lilyvale network by 2015 and the proponent envisages that this will meet the power requirements during production.

A primary sewage treatment plant will be situated on-site and sludge and effluent from the plant will be disposed by a licensed contractor to a licensed waste disposal facility.

A social impact assessment to determine the beneficial and adverse social and socio-economic impacts of the project will be undertaken during the EIS process.

Queensland environmental impact statement (EIS) process

Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act)

On 16 February 2011, an application was made by the proponent under section 154 of the EP Act for an environmental authority. Under section 162 of the EP Act it was determined by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) that assessment of the Teresa Coal Project would be by EIS.

Commonwealth assessment process

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)

On 7 October 2011, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities determined the proposed project to be a controlled action under the Commonwealth EPBC Act. The controlling provisions are sections 18 and 18A (listed threatened species and communities) and 20 and 20A (listed migratory species). The project will be assessed under the Bilateral Agreement using the EIS prepared under the EP Act to assess the potential impacts of the project on the controlling provisions.

Public notification of final terms of reference (TOR)

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

The final terms of reference (TOR) for the EIS were issued to the proponent on 9 March 2012.

The proponent will now prepare the EIS. The EIS will be available for public review and DERM's chief executive will invite written submissions from any person in relation to the EIS in due course.