The Taroborah Coal project, near Emerald, is one step closer to fruition with the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being released for public comment this week.
The mine has been earmarked for a parcel of land approximately 22km west of Emerald, off the Capricorn Highway.
Project proponents, Shenhuo International Group, say the mine would have a life of 20 years and employ predominantly a local workforce if it goes ahead.
Taroborah Project Manager, David Thomas, said the EIS was the summary of several years of work on the project, aimed at minimising the environmental impact of the project, while maximising the benefit to the local community.
“We’ve done a lot of work on this to get the best possible outcome for the local community, and we are very happy with the results,” he said.
“There will be some impacts on the local community, but we believe we can keep them to a minimum. Certainly there will be very little impact on most people, unless they are right on top of the mine, or very close to it.”
Mr Thomas said the public consultation period was important for the company as well as the community.
“We really want to do this as well as we possibly can. Obviously that will involve a few trade-offs, and the project has to be economically viable, but we believe good outcomes for the community can fit in with a viable mine,” he said.
“We don’t think there is any reason to have a fly-in, fly-out workforce when there are people ready and willing to work right here in the Central Highlands,”
“Making sure there are jobs for the local community is very important. It is about maximising the benefits that flow from the project.”
The EIS submission period started yesterday (15 May) and will close on 26 June. More information on making an EIS submission can be found on the Department of Environment and Heritage’s website.
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