Red Dome pit extension project (lapsed)
Project summary
Mungana Goldmines Ltd is the proponent for the Red Dome Pit Extension Project. The project would be situated on the existing group of Red Dome and Mungana mining leases, which lie at Mungana, 15 km west of Chillagoe in North Queensland. The existing tenures for this project are mining leases (ML) 4928, 4977, 5319, 5176 and 20640. The site is adjacent to the Piano Cave section of the Chillagoe–Mungana Caves National Park.
The project would enlarge and deepen the existing, open-cut Red Dome Pit, which has been dormant from mining since 1997, although it has been used recently for the storage of water affected by other mining activities within the local group of mining leases. Open-cut mining would extract up to 3.8 million tonnes per year (Mt/y) of run-of-mine (ROM) ore, averaging 2.3 Mt/y over the estimated 10 years of mine life. The enlarged pit would have a depth of 370 m and a surface area of 38.3 ha. After open-cut mining reaches its greatest feasible extent, mining activities would move into an underground operation to extract a further 2.4 Mt of ore.
Ore would be processed on-site at a new plant capable of processing 4 Mt/y of ROM ore.
Development would include construction of non-acid forming and potential-acid forming waste rock dumps on areas previously disturbed by mining activities. Tailings from the processing plant would be deposited in new cells adjacent to an existing tailings storage facility in the south–west area of the mining leases.
Queensland assessment process
Environmental Protection Act 1994
On 6 March 2012, the proponent applied under section 70 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for approval to voluntary prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Red Dome Pit Extension Project. The application was approved on 13 March 2012.
Commonwealth assessment process
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
In early 2006, the Red Dome project was referred by the proponent to the then Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. On 3 April 2006, the department determined that the project is not a controlled action provided it is undertaken in a particular manner, which the Commonwealth Government specified in its decision notice. The Commonwealth Government has since confirmed that the Red Dome Pit Extension Project remains covered by that decision, and consequently there is no need for the current EIS process to address matters covered by Commonwealth jurisdiction.
Terms of reference (TOR)
In accordance with section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the department has finalised the terms of reference (TOR) for carrying out an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposal on 28 August 2012.
The proponent had until 28 August 2014 to submit the EIS to the department for assessment. However, the EIS was not submitted by that date. Consequently, the final terms of reference for the EIS have ceased to have effect and the EIS assessment process has lapsed.
Documents
- Final terms of reference (August 2012)
- Draft terms of reference (April 2012)
- Initial advice statement describing the project (April 2012)
Further information
For further information about the EIS process for the Red Dome Pit Extension Project, contact the EIS Coordinator on 13QGOV (13 74 68) or email eis@des.qld.gov.au