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North Star Magnetite Project

Project
Proponent: 
Fortescue Metals Group Limited
Proposal description: 

The Proponent, FMG Iron Bridge Ltd, proposes to construct and operate the North Star Magnetite Iron Ore Mine, located approximately 110km south of Port Hedland, WA. The Project also includes a borefield in the Canning Basin and a slurry pipeline to transport the ore product to Port Hedland for export.

Assessment Number: 
1946
Region: 
Pilbara
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Iron Ore
Last updated: 
December 24, 2021
Related EPA Media Statement: 
EPA recommends strict conditional approval of magnetite project
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
1. Referral
Referral documentation: 
PDF icon Referral Form - North Star Magnetite Project
Package icon Maps.zip
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Public Environmental Review
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon Chairman's Determination - North Star Magnetite Project
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Hydrological Processes
Inland Waters Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Monday, 5 November, 2012
3. Assessment
Scoping
Environmental scoping document: 
PDF icon Environmental Scoping Document - North Star Magnetite Project
Approved: 
Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Environmental Review
Public submissions: 
Monday, 9 September, 2013 to Monday, 21 October, 2013
Make a submission: 
Public Environmental Review - North Star Magnetite Project
Environmental Review documentation: 
PDF icon Public Environmental Review - North Star Magnetite Project
PDF icon 1946-PER App 1 - North Star Magnetite Project ESD.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 2 - Geographic Extents of the project.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 3 - Geochemical Assessment.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 4 - Soil and Landform Assessment.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 5 - North Star (Mine Area) Hydrology Report.pdf
Package icon 1946-PER App 6 - Hydrogeological Studies.zip
PDF icon 1946-PER App 7a Access Road Flora and Vegetation Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 7b (Mine Area) Flora and Vegetation Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 7c Pityrodia sp Marble Bar Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 7d Water Corridor Zone Flora and Veg Survey Rep.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8a Fauna Habitats and Fauna Assemblage-FMG Rail.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8b Fauna Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8c Mine Area - Conservation Significant Fauna and Habitat.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8d Mine Area - Phase 1 Bat Vibration Study.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8e Mine Area - Targeted Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 8f Water Corridor Zone Fauna Survey Report (includes SRE).pdf
PDF icon 1946-PER App 9 - SRE Survey Report.pdf
Package icon 1946-PER App 10 Subterranean Fauna Assessments.zip
Package icon 1946-PER App 11 - DIA Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System Search Results.zip
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1514
EPA Report: 
PDF icon Report 1514 - North Star Magnetite Project
Key Environmental Factors: 
Flora and Vegetation
Subterranean Fauna
Terrestrial Fauna
Hydrological Processes
Inland Waters Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Monday, 23 June, 2014
Appeals close: 
Monday, 7 July, 2014
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Date of approval: 
Monday, 5 January, 2015
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Statement 993.pdf
Post-assessment changes
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 to Statement 993 - Change to area of Slurry Corridor Development Envelope; additional clearing for an Aerodrome in the Infrastructure Corridor; addition of Aerodrome to elements in the Infrastructure Development Corridor; and change to area of Infrastructure Corridor Development Envelope - changes to proposal under s45C approved on 22 August 2016.

Attachment 2 to Statement 993 - An increase in groundwater abstraction from the Water Corridor Development Envelope from 14 gigalitres per annum (GL/a) up to 20 GL/a, an increase of 6 GL/a, from the current authorised extent. - changes to proposal under s45C approved on 8 March 2019.

Attachment 3 to Statement 993 - Changes:

  • Decrease in the size of the Infrastructure Corridor Development Envelope (ICDE) from 5,154 ha to 4,950 ha; and
  • Corresponding increase in the Mine Development Envelope (MDE) from 4,970 ha to 5,174 ha.
  • Addition of water return pipeline to elements in the Slurry Corridor Development Envelope (SCDE) and ICDE.
  • Addition of ‘associated infrastructure’ to elements in the ICDE.
  • Correction of the wording ‘transmission pipelines’ with ‘transmission lines’ to elements in the ICDE listed in Table 2.
  • Administrative change to the title of the ICDE within Table 2 from Infrastructure Development Corridor to Infrastructure Corridor Development Envelope. 

Changes to proposal under s45C approved on 2 December 2019.

Attachment 4 to Statement 993 - Changes:

  • Increase in the Infrastructure Corridor Development Envelope (Infrastructure Corridor DE), to allow for revised access to the aerodrome (from 4,950 ha to 5,226 ha);
  • Increase in the Water Corridor Development Envelope (Water Corridor DE), to allow the change in location of groundwater abstraction and water monitoring infrastructure (from 28,696 ha to 31,126 ha);
  • Increase in the Slurry Corridor Development Envelope (Slurry Corridor DE), to allow for the revised pipeline alignment that enters the port area on the western side of FMG rail infrastructure, and to widen the envelope around heritage sites (from 2,781 ha to 3,314 ha); and
  • Increase in the Mine Development Envelope (Mine DE) (from 5,174 ha to 5, 276 ha), to allow the accommodation of the toe of the rock walls for the tailing storage facility (TSF) and access tracks required to the TSF. The design batter angle currently pushes the toe outside the north eastern boundary. The boundary has been adjusted north and east of the TSF.
  • Addition of dewatering of 4.5 Gigalitres per annum (GL/a) below the water table from the mine pit within the Mine Development Envelope (Mining DE) to ensure that the pit is dry during operation.

Changes to proposal under s45C approved on 22 September 2020.

Attachment 5 to Statement 993 - Increase in the clearing permitted within the Slurry Corridor Development Envelope (SCDE) from no more than 315 hectares (ha) to 435 ha. - change to proposal under s45C approved on 24 December 2021

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Monday, 22 August, 2016
Friday, 8 March, 2019
Monday, 2 December, 2019
Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
Friday, 24 December, 2021

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/north-star-magnetite-project