BMA is advancing a proposal that would see open-cut mining operations at Saraji mine’s Grevillea pit extended for decades to come.

Located about 20km north of Dysart, Saraji mines about 16Mtpa of run-of-mine (ROM) coal from multiple pits.

BMA expects mining operations to exhaust current Grevillea pit resources (within ML 1782) during the 2025 financial year.

Its Grevillea Pit Continuation Project would extend the footprint of the pit beyond ML 1782 to the east into ML 700021, covering about 220ha. The project has an estimated end date of 2055.

BMA is seeking federal environmental approval for the project, and its referral under the EPBC Act is now open for public comment.

Mining at Saraji supports about 2400 full time equivalent employees, including labour hire and contractors, and BMA argues that these jobs are reliant on maintaining continuity of mining operations through the proposed action.

The brownfield development would make use of the significant existing on-site infrastructure such as rail, road, power and water services.

This would result in less demand and impact on the environment, existing services and providers, when compared to a greenfield development away from an existing mining complex, BMA said in its documentation to support the application.