Integrated Isaac Plains project

IP Coal Pty Ltd and Vale Australia (IP) Pty Ltd are the proponents for an extension of the existing Isaac Plains open-cut coal mine to be known as the Integrated Isaac Plains Project (IIPP). The proponent submitted to the department an application to prepare a Voluntary Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the IIPP, and the department accepted the Voluntary EIS Application on 21 June 2006. The department managed the assessment of the project using the EIS process set out in part 1 of chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act).

The IIPP was referred to the Commonwealth Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and a decision was made on 6 October 2006 that approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was not required.

The current Isaac Plains mine operates to the north of the proposed expansion area on ML70342, north of the Isaac River, within the Isaac Regional Council (formerly Belyando Shire Council), central Queensland. The current Isaac Plains coal mine operation includes the development of five contiguous open cut pits, out-of-pit spoil dumps, access and haul roads, a coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP), a run-of-mine (ROM) coal stockpile, rail loop, water storage infrastructure, train loading facilities and associated buildings and infrastructure.

The proposed expansion area is located south of the current operation on the southern floodplain of the Isaac River on the Winchester Downs property, about 10km south-east of Moranbah, within the Isaac Regional Council (formerly Nebo Shire Council), central Queensland. Development of the expansion area will include an open-cut pit(s), out-of-pit spoil dumps, access/haul roads, ROM coal stockpile and a small infrastructure area. The Integrated Isaac Plains Project will comprise some changes to the existing mine including dragline overburden removal, and new mining activities within the expansion area.

The proponent holds tenements to the expansion area under the Exploration Permits for Coal (EPC) 755 and EPC548 and mining lease applications (MLAs) MLA70361, MLA70380, MLA70381 and MLA70382. If the MLs for the expansion area are granted, the proponent will integrate the activities in each of the MLs into a single project environmental authority under the EP Act.

The proposed IIPP involves expanding current mining operations from 2 million tonnes a year (Mt/y) of ROM coal to up to 4Mt/y of ROM coal for at least 15 years. Blasting will be required to loosen overburden for dragline removal. ROM coal from the expansion area will be hauled by truck north over the Isaac River via a new low-level Isaac river crossing, through a new underpass of the Peak Downs Highway to the Isaac Plains CHPP. The CHPP has the capacity to process the combined ROM coal production of 4Mt/y by increasing operational hours. The CHPP has a belt filter press that eliminates tailings and therefore, a tailings dam will not be required. Waste from the CHPP, comprising dewatered course and fine rejects, will be disposed in mined out pits as the pits are progressively backfilled. Processed and washed coal from the Integrated Isaac Plains Project will be railed to Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal at Mackay for export.

To enable efficient operation within the expansion area, Conrock Gully, which passes through the middle of the proposed expansion area, will be diverted. A progressive series of levee banks will also be constructed beside the Isaac River for flood protection. As part of the IIPP, future operations within the existing Isaac Plains coal mine area on ML70342 will also require the diversion of Smokey Creek, which passes between the north and central open cut pits, through the middle of ML70342.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) was issued to the proponent on Friday 23 March 2007. A copy of the final ToR is available by accessing the link below.

The proponent prepared the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addressing the requirements of the final ToR. The EIS was available for public comment from 12 November 2007 till 8 January 2008. All submissions on the EIS were forwarded to the proponent for response under section 56 of the EP Act and a Supplementary EIS was received by the department on 6 June 2008. A copy of the Supplementary EIS was forwarded to all EIS submitters for consideration. Based on feedback from EIS submitters the proponent provided additional information on 29 August 2008, 10 & 28 November 2008 and 27 February 2009. A decision under section 56A to allow the submitted EIS to proceed was made on 13 March 2009. An EIS assessment report was issued to the proponent on 27 March 2009 and the EIS process is now completed.

A copy of the EIS is available by contacting Melanie Rosak from Isaac Plains Coal Management Pty Ltd on phone (07) 4816 7411 or email mrosak@isaacplains.com.au.

Publicly available documents:

For further information about the EIS process for the Integrated Isaac Plains Project, contact the EIS Co-ordinator on telephone (07) 4980 6213.

Available from the library catalogue

The document referred to on this page is available from the department’s online library catalogue.