Valeria Coal – A Win!
Proponent: Glencore Coal
Location: 27km north-west ofEmerald
Mine area: over 28,000 ha with a disturbance area estimated at 10,000 ha
Life of mine: 35 years
Coal volume: 20 million tonnes/year
Type of coal: Thermal and metallurgical
Fantastic news came through in early December 2022 – Glencore withdrew their application for the Valeria Project and the coordinated project declaration was cancelled! Glencore submitted an application and an Initial Advice Statement for the proposed Valeria coal mine project in April 2020. In June 2020, the Queensland Coordinator-General declared the Valeria Project as a coordinated project for assessment under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. For most proposals, the State assessment is made under the Environmental Protection Act 1994. Then in January 2022, the Commonwealth Environment Minister determined that the Valeria Project was a controlled action which meant that the project also needed to be assessed under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Coordinator-General called for public comment on a draft Terms or Reference for the Environmental Impact Assessment required for assessment under both the State and Commonwealth legislation. Comments closed in October 2022.
Environmental impacts
If the Valeria Project proceeds, it will result in:
* Clearing of nearly 5000ha or remnant and regrowth vegetation which is the habitat for 22 listed threatened species including the koala, painted snipe and greater glider (pictured above).
* The destruction of high-value farmland, including over 1000ha of strategic cropping land.
* Drawdown impacts to water bores, creeks and rivers fed by ground water which will have flow-on effects to farmers and ground-water dependent ecosystems.
* Impacts to important wetlands in the area including Theresa Creek and Lake Maraboon through draw down and changes to surface water recharges as a result of water diversion and levee infrastructure.
* Result in 1.19 – 1.36 billion tonnes of CO2-e which will exacerbate climate change and impact on our precious environment and lead to even more extreme weather events.
EnvA hopes that this proposed greenfield mine is gone forever – but we will keep following incase Glencore onsells or reinvigorates the project.