CopperString Project – draft environmental impact statement

Overview

Queensland's Coordinator-General invites you to have your say on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the CopperString Project.

Prepared by CuString Pty Ltd, the draft EIS describes the project and its potential direct and indirect environmental impacts, both positive and negative.

You are invited to make a submission on the draft EIS, including on the project’s environmental impacts and the effectiveness of the measures proposed to manage those impacts. The Coordinator-General will consider all submissions as part of the evaluation of the EIS for the project

About the project

The proponent proposes to develop the CopperString Project with an estimated capital expenditure of $1.7 billion. The project consists of an overhead high voltage electricity transmission line, with support towers and associated sub-stations, from a new sub-station at Woodstock, south of Townsville, to the Chumvale sub-station, near Cloncurry.

Subject to demand, the project may extend west to Mount Isa, with spur lines south and north to mines and renewable energy facilities. The project traverses seven local government areas; Burdekin, Charters Towers, Flinders, Richmond, McKinlay, Cloncurry and Mount lsa.

The CopperString project would involve:

• approximately 740 km overhead high voltage electricity transmission line from Woodstock south of Townsville to Chumvale, near Cloncurry
• potential for additional network extensions of the electricity transmission line from Chumvale west to Mount Isa and south to Phosphate Hill and Cannington, increasing the length of the transmission line to approximately1,100 km
• transmission support towers every 400 to 500 metres, depending on topography and height clearance requirements 
• substations at Woodstock and Chumvale with the potential to include intermediate sub-stations for future connections; plus substations at Mount Isa, Phosphate Hill and Cannington, subject to demand
• a minimum of four construction camps operating concurrently along the transmission line
• temporary workshops, site offices, laydown/delivery areas and concrete batching plants for construction activities
• access tracks used during construction and for ongoing maintenance.

The project is a controlled action and will require approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) before it can proceed (EPBC Act reference: 2019/8416). The relevant protected matter is listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) and listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A).

The EIS will assess potential impacts of the project on the controlling provision consistent with the Bilateral Agreement (section 45 of the EPBC Act) between the Australian and Queensland governments for the purposes of the Australian government’s assessment under Part 8 of the EPBC Act. The Coordinator-General’s EIS evaluation report will be provided to the Commonwealth Minister. The Commonwealth Minister may rely on the outcomes of the Coordinator-General’s assessment process, including any public submissions, in making a decision under the EPBC Act.

Submissions on the draft EIS are invited between 21 December 2020 and 5 pm on Friday 12 February 2021.

The draft EIS is available to view online from Saturday 19 December 2020. A digital copy on a USB is also available from the proponent by contacting via telephone (07) 3051 0527 or email info@copperstring2.com.au. An electronic copy of the draft EIS will be available to view between 21 December 2020 and 12 February 2021 during the venues’ business hours at:

• Mount Isa City Library, 23 West Street, Miles End, QLD
• Burdekin Library, 108 Graham Street, Ayr, QLD
• Cloncurry Bob McDonald Library, Cloncurry Shire Council Scar Street, Cloncurry, QLD
• Richmond Library, 76 Goldring Street, Richmond, QLD
• Julia Creek Library, 56 Burke Street, Julia Creek, QLD
• Charters Towers Excelsior Library, 130 Gill Street, Charters Towers, QLD
• Townsville City Libraries Aitkenvale, 4 Petunia Street, Aitkenvale, QLD
• Flinders Library, Cnr Gray and Brodie Street, Hughenden, QLD 
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane.
• National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra, ACT

How to make a submission

There are a number of different ways to make a submission on this draft EIS. You only need to lodge your submission using one of these methods. Replicated responses received through different methods will only be counted as one submission. 

1. Click on the ‘Make a submission’ link below
2. Email your submission to CopperString@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
3. Post your submission to:

Attention: Coordinator-General

C/- EIS Project Manager - CopperString project
Office of the Coordinator-General
PO Box 15517
City East Qld 4002 Australia

Note: If you wish to attach anything with your submission (e.g. maps, images or supporting documents), please use the email option instead of the online form.

While you are encouraged to use the submission form, it is not mandatory. Your submission, including any personal information you provide in connection with your submission, may be disclosed by the Coordinator-General to the project proponent and to other local, State and Commonwealth government agencies. Your personal information will otherwise be dealt with in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld). If you have special communication needs, telephone the EIS project manager on +61 7 3452 7452 to make alternative submission arrangements.

What happens next

Following the end of the submission period for the draft EIS, the Coordinator-General will consider the following in deciding whether or not to accept the draft EIS as the final EIS:

• the draft EIS
• any properly made submissions for the draft EIS
• any other material the Coordinator-General considers relevant.

If the Coordinator-General decides to accept the draft EIS as the final EIS, the Coordinator-General will commence preparation of his evaluation report for the project.

If the Coordinator-General decides not to accept the draft EIS as the final EIS, the proponent will be required to provide additional information to address any further information requirements.