A business management consultancy has been appointed to work on a new coal mine in Central Queensland that will create hundreds of jobs.
Queensland Nickel (QN) previously engaged Sedgman Consulting to carry-out an environmental and engineering baseline assessment at the Styx Coal Project, about 130km northwest of Rockhampton.
The project, which is still seeking approval from the Queensland Department of Environment and Energy, is being spearheaded by mining magnate Clive Palmer’s Fairway Coal and Styx Coal – which are subsidiaries of Mineralogy. If approved, the mine could create as many as 500 new jobs and comprise of an open-cut operation plus a rail connection between the Queensland Rail North Coast Line and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal.
The project intends to mine 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of run-of-mine coal, which will be later processed to produce 1.5 Mtpa of semi soft coking coal. The project will initially commence operations with a 1 Mtpa open cut mine, eventually ramping up to 2 Mtpa a few years later.
Sedgman gathered data and developed, managed and delivered it as a baseline report to identify the existing environmental values and constraints; provide information to enable the regulatory bodies to determine the approvals process and support pre-lodgement discussions; and identify the engineering infrastructure and requirements for the mine.
The consultancy also did follow-up studies based on identified data gaps and long lead-time components.
Environmental studies managed and undertaken include:
- terrestrial flora and fauna assessments over the 350 sqkm EPC
- aquatic ecology – freshwater, marine and estuarine habitats
- groundwater investigation, bore census and assessment
- water quality – 12 month receiving waters monitoring program
- noise and air preliminary assessments and noise monitoring
- contaminated land
- climate, climate change and greenhouse gases
- land resources, including soils, good quality agricultural land and strategic cropping land
- surface water quality, hydrology, hydraulic and flooding assessment
- transport and mining infrastructure assessment
“We were then commissioned to manage the approvals pathway for the level 1 mining lease project including undertaking further detailed investigations and preparation of an Environmental Management Plan to support the application,” Sedgman says on its website.
“Project management and implementation of the Styx Coal Project was controlled by Sedgman Consulting, including field work programs, sub-consultant management/technical review and client liaison adapting the program to meet client requirements and expectations as the project developed. Works were completed within budget and on time with finalisation of the EM Plan and application documentation for submission.”
According to Isaac Regional Council, the project will require 200 construction workers plus a further 250 during operation with an option to increase staff numbers to 500 at peak production.
Early work could begin as early as the year 2018 pending regulatory approval.
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