The following information was provided in support of the EIS process under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for the voluntary preparation of an EIS for the Goonyella Riverside Coal Mine Expansion Project prior to the application being withdrawn by the proponent on 19 August 2008.
The proponent's application to voluntarily prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project was accepted by the department on 9 September 2005. The department is managing the EIS assessment process as set out in Chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The Goonyella Riverside Coal Mine Expansion Project is located in Belyando Shire, approximately 30km to the north of Moranbah and 190km south west of Mackay. The operational mining leases cover an area 22km long and 10km wide. Originally the mine consisted of two separate open cut mines: Goonyella Mine (ML1763) which was developed in 1969-1971; and Riverside Mine (ML1764) which was developed in 1981-1983. In 1989 the two mines were amalgamated and re-registered as the Goonyella Riverside Mine. A new underground mine (Broadmeadow Mine) is being developed on ML1763 and will commence production in late 2005. It will contribute an additional 4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to the 12 Mtpa already mined from the open cut operations. Currently the total approved production limit is 16 Mtpa. The mine competes in the medium volatile hard coking coal market.
The expansion project, which is the subject of the EIS, is to increase the annual coal production above 16 Mtpa. Options being considered provide for an increase in production to 20 Mtpa or 24 Mtpa through expansion of the open cut and underground operations. The expansion project may comprise the following components:
- expansion of the existing open cut operations to the east into MDLA 307 and to the south-west into EPC 953
- the storage of out-of-pit spoil in MDLAs 307 and 358 in the east and EPC 928 in the west
- relocation of Red Hill Road and the diversion of Isaac River, Goonyella Creek, Fisher Creek and Platypus Creek
- expansion of the existing Broadmeadow underground mine in the Goonyella Middle Seam into MDLA 307
- establish an underground mine in the Goonyella Lower Seam with possible expansion into MDLA 307
- expansion of coal processing facilities, including upgrades to the existing coal processing plants and/or the construction of a third coal handling and processing plant.