Peak Downs Mine Continuation 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 Peak Downs Mine Continuation 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, the proponent, BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd must address when preparing the EIS.

About the project

The proponent, BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd, proposes to develop the Peak Downs Mine Continuation project. The project involves expansion for continued mining of the existing Peak Downs Mine open cut pits to extract metallurgical (coking) coal used for steelmaking. The project is proposed to deliver up to 18 million tonnes of product coal per annum for up to approximately 93 years. The project will extract coal from mining leases ML 70411, ML 1885 and ML 1775.

On 27 January 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 (Qld), triggering the requirement for an EIS.

On 5 January 2023, the delegate for the Australian Minister for the Environment and Water determined the project to be a ‘controlled action’ under section 75 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC 2022/09350). The controlling provisions include listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) and a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development (sections 24D and 24E). The project will be assessed by accredited assessment under the SDPWO Act (Qld). 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 12 May 2023 to 9 June 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 12 May 2023 to 9 June 2023 at www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/peak-downs-mine-continuation

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

• Dysart Library, Shannon Crescent, Dysart (hard copy available on request)
• Middlemount Library, Middlemount Shopping Mall, Carter Place, Middlemount (hard copy available on request)
• Moranbah Library, Grosvenor Complex, Batchelor Parade, Town Square, Moranbah (hard copy available on request)
• Nebo Library, 10 Reynolds Street, Nebo (hard copy available on request)
• National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane

Send your comments to one of the following:

Email:      peakdownsMC@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au

Post:        Attention: The Coordinator-General

c/ Project Manager, Peak Downs Mine Continuation 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.