Baralaba South mine plans out for public feedback

Plans to develop the Baralaba South metallurgical coal project have taken another step forward, with the public comment period now open on the Environmental Impact Statement for a 2.5Mtpa operation. The timing of the new open-cut operation is planned to allow a transition from the existing Baralaba North mine when it approaches the end of its operational mine life, estimated between 2028 and 2030. The peak workforce is estimated to be 521 during operations and an additional 268 employees during construction. In the period when Baralaba North mine is winding down and the Baralaba South project is in construction and ramping up, the Baralaba Coal Company expects to see a peak combined workforce of about 710 for three years. The Baralaba South project proponent is listed as Baralaba South - a privately owned subsidiary of Wonbindi Coal, 100 per cent owned by Baralaba Coal Company. The Baralaba South operation, about 8km south of Baralaba in Central Queensland, is expected to mine approximately 49Mt of ROM coal to produce about 36Mt of product coal over the life of the project. Documentation supporting its environmental approvals shows the expected life of the project would be up to 23 years, including construction, operation, decommissioning and rehabilitation. Baralaba Coal Company plans to expand the Baralaba workers accommodation village to provide about 255 additional accommodation units to cater for the peak workforce. It is anticipated that workforce transport to the project would be approximately 5 per cent Fly-in-Fly Out, 70 per cent Drive-In-Drive Out and 25 per cent local. The Baralaba South project was first proposed in 2012 as a 4Mtpa run-of-mine (ROM) coal mine. Three changes of project ownership since have seen different approaches to mining, including a proposal for a 5Mtpa ROM mine that sparked public concern over potential flooding. In its EIS documentation, the current proponent said they had completely revised the project to be a much smaller mine, located entirely outside the 10 per cent annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood extent. "The project will produce up to approximately 2.5 Mtpa with mining and the final void outside the 0.1 per cent AEP. Additionally, to reduce impacts of the project on the community and the environment, it will be sequenced with Baralaba North mine so that it will ramp up production as Baralaba North ramps down – effectively resulting in a continuation of current operations. The proponent has worked with local communities throughout this time to refine the project so that it addresses environmental concerns while still supporting economic opportunities and stability." The EIS can be viewed online at www.baralabacoal.com.au and at the Baralaba Coal Company town office at 27 Stopford St, Baralaba. Electronic copies can also be ordered by phoning the proponent on +61 7 3088 4670 or emailing eis@baralabacoal.com.au

Baralaba South mine plans out for public feedback

Industry Queensland

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