Drake Coal Project
The EIS process for this project has now concluded.
Project summary
Drake Coal Pty Ltd (a subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd) is the proponent for a new open-cut coal mine to be known as the Drake Coal Project. The proposed project would be located 150km north-west of Mackay and 17km south of Collinsville, in the Whitsunday Regional Council local government area, in the northern Bowen Basin, Central Queensland. The proposed project would be situated adjacent to the Bowen River, within proposed mining leases (ML) 10349, ML10350 and ML10351 located on Lot 618 on PH2106 and Lot 9 on DK239.
The mine would operate seven days per week and use conventional open-cut truck and excavator methods to produce up to 10 million tonnes of run-of-mine (ROM) coal per year for up to 26 years. The mine would produce up to 6 million tonnes per year of high quality coking coal and thermal coal for export markets via the Abbot Point Coal Terminal, near Bowen. The mine would also include a coal handling and preparation plant and a train load-out facility and balloon rail loop connecting the project to the Collinsville-Newlands rail line. Site access would be via the Bowen Developmental Road.
The proponent applied to undertake a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS) under Chapter 3, Part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act), which was accepted on 9 April 2010.
The Drake Coal Project has been determined by the Australian Government Environment Department to be a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The controlling provisions are Sections 18 and 18A (listed threatened species and communities) and Sections 20 and 20A (listed migratory species). The assessment of the project has been completed under the Bilateral Agreement.
The EIS assessment report was issued to QCoal Pty Ltd on 10 September 2013 in accordance with section 60 of the EP Act. The EIS process under Chapter 3, Part 1 of the EP Act is now completed.
Documents
- EIS assessment report 1.5 MB) (September 2013)
- Final terms of reference 499.1 KB) (December 2010)
- Draft terms of reference 355.7 KB) (September 2010)
- Initial advice statement describing the project 2.7 MB) (February 2010)
Further information
For further information about the EIS process for the Drake Coal Project, please contact the EIS Coordinator on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or email eis@detsi.qld.gov.au.