Valeria 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 Valeria 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 Valeria Coal Holdings Pty Limited must address when preparing the EIS.

About the project

The proponent, Valeria Coal Holdings Pty Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore, proposes to develop an open cut thermal and metallurgical coal mine 27 kilometres north-west of Emerald, within the Bowen Basin. The proposed mine would extract up to 16 million tonnes of product coal per annum over 37 years to meet the demand in south-east Asian countries, as well as India and China. The proposed mine will produce predominately thermal coal for energy production, with remaining metallurgical (coking) coal to be used for steel making. The proposed project also includes a mine infrastructure area, rail loop and train load-out facility and supporting infrastructure including an access road, water supply pipeline, 70-kilometre rail line, and telecommunication and electricity transmission lines.   

The former Commonwealth Minister for the Environment has determined the Valeria Project, lodged as five separate referrals, is a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC 2021/9074 to EPBC2021/9078). The relevant controlling provisions for all five referrals are listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) (EPBC 2021/9074 to EPBC2021/9078), and a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development (sections 24D and 24E) for the water pipeline, railway, and mine site and access road (EPBC 2021/9075, EPBC 2021/9076 and EPBC 2021/9077). The draft TOR includes requirements to address impacts on matters of national environmental significance.

An electronic copy of the draft TOR is available to view online from 27 August 2022 to 21 October 2022 at www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/valeria or by visiting the following display locations during business hours:

• Capella Library, 83 Peak Downs Street, Capella
• Central Highlands Regional Council Library, 44 Borilla Street, Emerald
• Gemfields Library, 7 Burridge Road, Rubyvale
• Tieri Library, Corner of Grasstree and Anncrouye Streets, Tieri
• State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane
• National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra.

How to comment

There are different options available to provide comments on this draft TOR. You only need to provide comments using one of these methods. Replicated responses received through different methods will only be counted as one submission.

1. Click on the ‘Make a comment’ link below
2. Email your submission to valeria@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
3. Post your submission to:
   Attention: Coordinator-General
   C/- Project Manager – Valeria Project
   Office of the Coordinator-General
   PO Box 15517
   City East Qld 4002 Australia

Note: If you wish to attach anything (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 13 QGOV (13 74 68) to make alternative submission arrangements.

What happens next

Following the end of the comment period for the draft TOR, the Coordinator-General will consider any comments on the draft TOR received during the comment period.