Kunioon Project (withdrawn)
Tarong Energy Corporation (TEC) was the proponent for the Kunioon Project. The project was to be located in the South Burnett approximately 15 kilometres south of Kingaroy, 17 kilometres west of Nanango and approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Brisbane.
The project was being assessed by a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS) under Part 1 of Chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The terms of reference was finalised and issued to the proponent on 23 November 2007. On 27 July 2009, TEC requested and was granted an extension to the period in which they were required to provide an EIS by 22 November 2011.
The mine was to be a replacement for the Meaundu Mine which supplies coal to the Tarong and Tarong North Power Stations. However, TEC advise that a review of its coal assets has indicated an extension of the economic life of the Meaundu mine until at least 2025. Accordingly, TEC has scaled back its activities for the Kunioon Project since there is no need at present to establish a mining lease. TEC advise that whilst some exploration and environmental activities will continue under the current Mineral Development Licence, work on the EIS has ceased and therefore the EIS will not be submitted.
TEC was examining the prospect of developing a new open cut coal mine, to be known as the Kunioon Project. The project was to be located on a Mineral Development Licence (MDL) area 201.
Key features of the project would have included:
- open cut coal mine
- approximately 10 million tonnes per year of Run of Mine (ROM) coal
- life of Kunioon Project planned for at least 25 years
- overland ROM coal conveyor approximately 16 km to the Meandu Mine Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP)
- civil works and ancillary facilities at Kunioon Project such as sediment dams, roads and power infrastructure as well as offices, workshops and ablutions.
The mining method for the project was to be conventional truck and shovel operation working in two pits, Main Kunioon and Goodger. Coal was to be extracted in approximately equal ratios from the Kunioon, Goodger and Swain seams. Drilling and blasting would have been required in the overburden removal and coal extraction phases of the mining. Coal was to be hauled by mine truck to a ROM coal stockpile facility prior to being conveyed to the CHPP.
Major project capital expenditure was estimated to be in the order of $220 million with the number of construction jobs planned to peak at between 200 and 220 and jobs during full scale mining operations were anticipated to be around 260.
The period of construction activity to bring the mine up to full production was estimated to be in the order of 12 to 18 months.
The proponent had submitted to the department an application to prepare a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS), which the department approved on 24 April 2007.
The former Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Water Resources determined that the project constituted a controlled action pursuant to s75 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act controlling provisions are sections 18 and 18A (listed threatened species and communities) and sections 20 and 20A (listed migratory species). The Commonwealth accredited the State's EIS process, which would have satisfied both State and Commonwealth assessment requirements.
Documents
- Final terms of reference 429.8 KB) (November 2007)
- Draft terms of reference 196 KB) (July 2007)
- Initial advice statement describing the project 18.3 MB) (April 2007)
Further information
For further information about the EIS process for the Kunioon Project, contact the EIS Coordinator on 13QGOV (13 74 68) or email eis@des.qld.gov.au.