Julia Creek Vanadium and Energy 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 Julia Creek Vanadium and Energy 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 QEM Limited must address when preparing the EIS.

Project description

The proponent, QEM Limited, proposes to develop the $1.096 billion Julia Creek Vanadium and Energy project. The project involves development of a greenfield vanadium and oil shale mine and processing plant. The project proposes to extract up to 5.3 million tonnes per annum of run-of-mine ore, with an onsite processing plant producing up to 10,571 tonnes per annum of vanadium pentoxide (vanadium) and up to 313 million litres per annum of transport fuel (such as diesel and/or aviation fuel), over a 30 year mine life. The project tenements include EPM 25662, EPM 25681, EPM 26429 and EPM 27057. QEM proposes to truck the vanadium to Townsville for domestic downstream processing into vanadium electrolyte, an input into vanadium redox flow batteries for grid scale energy storage.

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.

On 23 December 2024, the Australian Minister for the Environment and Water determined that the project is likely to have a significant impact upon matters of national environmental significance and will require approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC 2024/10012) before it can proceed. The controlling provisions include listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A). The project will be assessed by accredited assessment under the SDPWO Act. The Coordinator-General’s EIS evaluation report will be provided to the Australian Minister for a seperate decision under the EPBC Act.

How to have your say

1. Read the draft TOR online by clicking here. 

OR

Visit one of the libraries mentioned below during opening hours between Saturday, 26 April 2025 and Monday, 26 May 2025 to view the draft TOR online or to make an electronic comment:

• Julia Creek Library, 56 Burke Street, Julia Creek
• Richmond Shire Council Library, 52 Goldring Street, Cloncurry
• Cloncurry Bob McDonal Library, 43 Scarr Street, Cloncurry
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane
• National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra.

2. Make a comment using one of the following methods:

• click on the 'Have your say' link below
• email your comment to jcvep@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au 
• post your comment to:

        Attention: The Coordinator-General
        c/ EIS Project Manager - Julia Creek Vanadium and
        Energy project
        Office of the Coordinator-General
        PO Box 15517
        City East Qld 4002 Australia

A comment must meet the following criteria:

• be made to the Coordinator-General in writing or electronically
• be received on or before the last day of the comment period
• be signed by each person who made the comment (or submitted online or by email)
• state the name and address of each person who made the comment
• state the grounds of the comment and the facts and circumstances relied on in support of the grounds.

Note: Any comment received may be provided to the proponent on request.