Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro 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 Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro project.

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, the proponent, Mt Rawdon Operations Pty Ltd and ICA Investment Services Pty Ltd must address when preparing the EIS.

About the project

The proponent, Mt Rawdon Operations Pty Ltd and ICA Investment Services Pty Ltd, proposes to develop the $3.34 billion Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro project. The project involves development a pumped hydro electricity generation facility through the repurposing of the mine pit created by the existing Mount Rawdon Mine. The project would have an energy storage capacity of up to 20,000 megawatt hours. The proposed project is located approximately 75 kilometres (km) south-west of Bundaberg, in the Bundaberg and North Burnett local government areas.

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 27 September 2022, the delegate for the Australian Minister for the Environment and Water determined the transmission line component of 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 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) before it can proceed. The pumped hydropower energy storage component of the project was determined to be a controlled action by the delegate on 16 November 2022. The controlling provisions are listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A). The project will be assessed under a bilateral agreement between the Australian and Queensland Governments (section 45 of the EPBC Act). The Coordinator-General’s EIS evaluation report will be provided to the Australian Minister.

How to comment

Comments on the draft TOR are invited from Saturday 4 March 2023 to Tuesday 11 April 2023. 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 Saturday 4 March 2023 to Tuesday 11 April 2023 at www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/mtrawdonpumpedhydro.

Should you require access to a computer, please visit the following venues during business hours:

• Biggenden Library, 47 Edward Street, Biggenden (hard copy available on request)
• Childers Library, 49 Churchill Street, Childers
• Gayndah Library, 34-36 Capper Street, Gayndah (hard copy available on request)
• Gin Gin Library, 4 Dear Street, Gin Gin
• Mt Perry Library, 66 Heusman Street, Mt Perry (hard copy available on request)
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane
• National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra.

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

Email: mtrawdon@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au

Post: Attention: The Coordinator-General
c/ Project Manager, Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro 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.