The proponent, Tiwest Joint Venture (Tiwest), seeks an amendment to the environmental conditions of Ministerial Statement 59 under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, to allow the synthetic rutile plant at Chandala an increase in nameplate production from 130,000 to 200,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of synthetic rutile.

The plant was originally assessed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in December 1988 and was approved by the Minister for the Environment to build and operate the plant at 130,000 tpa in the conditions set in February 1989. Subsequently, through the issuing of works approvals and licences, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) licensed the plant to operate up to 165,000 tpa on the basis that emission levels did not exceed the levels specified in the licence conditions. During the course of this assessment to 200,000 tpa production, the Minister has been advised by the proponent that it predicted that production levels for the plant could exceed the 130,000 tpa (constrained by the Minister's conditions) but still within its maximum licence level.