Woori project (withdrawn)
Project summary
On 26 March 2013, Surat Coal Pty Ltd (the proponent) requested that the Woori Coal Project (the project) be withdrawn from the EIS assessment process.
The project was planned to be located in the Surat Basin immediately west of the township of Guluguba, approximately 300 km northwest of Brisbane and 15 km south of Wandoan, on mineral development lease 187.
The project would have included a new open cut coal mine, which would have initially produced 3 million tonnes a year (Mt/y) of run-of-mine (ROM) thermal coal for export. This would have increased to 6 Mt/y within a year. The coal was to be crushed, sized and washed on site by a coal handling and processing plant and transported by rail to the Port of Gladstone. The mine life would have been approximately 15 years.
Queensland assessment process
Environmental Protection Act 1994
On 26 March 2009, the proponent submitted draft terms of reference (TOR) to this department in accordance with section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act).
In accordance with section 46 of the EP Act, the chief executive of the department prepared final TOR for carrying out an EIS for the project. The final TOR were issued to the proponent on 2 July 2009 and the EIS was due on 2 July 2011. Commencing March 2012 the proponent applied and was granted 3 extensions of the EIS submission period, the final extension being to 1 November 2013. The proponent was informed that the EIS would need to address additional issues that had arisen since the TOR were finalised in 2009, including Indigenous heritage and biodiversity offsets. The proponent submitted an EIS on 31 October 2012. The department determined that additional information was required in the EIS prior to its public notification under section 49(3) of the EP Act. The proponent and the department agreed on a revised decision date of 31 May 2012, under section 49(1) of the EP Act. The EIS has been withdrawn by the proponent and will not proceed.
Documents
- Final terms of reference (July 2009)
- Initial advice statement describing the project (October 2008)
Further information
For further information about the EIS process for this proposal, contact the EIS Coordinator on 13QGOV (13 74 68) or email eis@des.qld.gov.au.