Cape Flattery Silica Sand project - draft terms of reference for an environmental impact statement

Overview

Queensland's Coordinator-General invites you to have your say on the draft terms of reference (TOR) for an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Cape Flattery Silica Sand project.

Prepared by the Coordinator-General, the draft TOR sets out the matters to be studied within the EIS. You are invited to comment on whether the draft TOR adequately covers all the matters Cape Flattery Silica Pty Ltd must address when preparing the EIS.

About the project

Cape Flattery Silica Pty Ltd proposes to develop the $180-240 million Cape Flattery Silica Sand project. The project involves development of a greenfield silica sand mine and processing plants to extract up to 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of silica sand during Stage 1 (years 1-3), increasing up to 4 Mtpa during Stage 2 (years 4+). The project proposes to extract silica from mining leases 100284 and 100352 to produce 38-39 million tonnes of silica sand over its 15 year life. Cape Flattery Silica Pty Ltd proposes to tranship product silica sand via barges to bulk carrier ocean-going vessels within the Port of Cape Flattery for export to Asia.

On 15 December 2023, the Coordinator-General declared the project a ‘coordinated project’, under section 26(1)(a) of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (SDPWO Act) (Qld), triggering the requirement for an EIS.

How to comment

Comments on the draft TOR are invited from Monday 3 June 2024 to Monday 8 July 2024. For information on how to provide comments to the Coordinator-General, please refer to the fact sheet Have your say on draft terms of reference for an environmental impact statement and accompanying comment form, available online and at the public display locations shown below.

The draft TOR is available to view online from Monday 3 June 2024 to Monday 8 July 2024 at www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/cfss.

An electronic copy of the draft TOR will be available to view from Monday 3 June 2024 to Monday 8 July 2024 during the venues' business hours:

• Cairns City Library, 151 Abbott Street, Cairns
• Cooktown Library, 33 Helen Street, Cooktown
• Hope Vale Indigenous Knowledge Centre, 1 Muni Street, Hope Vale
• Laura Library, Laura Town Hall
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane.

Send your comments to the Coordinator-General using one of the following methods:

Online:   www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/cfss

Email:     cfss@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au

Post:       Attention: The Coordinator-General

                c/- EIS Project Manager, Cape Flattery Silica Sand project
                Project Evaluation and Facilitation
                Office of the Coordinator-General
                PO Box 15517
                City East Qld 4002 Australia

What happens next

The Coordinator-General will consider all comments on the draft TOR, before releasing the final TOR.

The proponent will prepare a draft EIS for the project addressing the requirements outlined in the final TOR.