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Murrin Murrin Nickel-Cobalt Project Stage 2 Expansion

Project
Proponent: 
Murrin Murrin Operations Pty Ltd
Proposal description: 

The proposal is for the Stage 2 expansion of the Murrin Murrin Nickel-Cobalt mining and processing operation (Stage 1), 60 kilometres east of Leonora. The Stage 2 expansion includes the mining of additional ore; an expansion of the processing plant to process additional ore; and the development of additional infrastructure associated with mining and processing of the ore.

Assessment Number: 
1229
Region: 
Goldfields Esperance
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Nickel
Last updated: 
April 24, 2024
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Consultative Environmental Review
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Flora and Vegetation
Hydrological Processes
Inland Waters Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Friday, 24 July, 1998
3. Assessment
Environmental Review
Public submissions: 
Tuesday, 24 November, 1998 to Thursday, 24 December, 1998
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
931
EPA Report: 
PDF icon Murrin Murrin Nickel-Cobalt Project Stage 2 Expansion, 60km east of Leonora
Date published: 
Thursday, 1 April, 1999
Appeals close: 
Friday, 16 April, 1999
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Comments: 

 

Date of approval: 
Monday, 31 May, 1999
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Statement 506.pdf
Post-assessment changes
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 – The use of Pit2/3 for periodic tailings disposal – change to proposal approved under s45C on 31 January 2005.

Attachment 2 – The construction and operation of a Heap Leach Facility located south-east of the existing Murrin Murrin processing plant (approximate coordinates GDA 391400mE, 6815800mE) as shown in Figure 1 – change to proposal approved under s45C on 8 December 2005.

Attachment 3 – Changes to Schedule 1, Key Characteristics Table relating to the continued operation of the Heap Leach Facility allowing ore processing to remain at 0.5 Mtpa for ‘life of mine’ – change to proposal approved under s45C on 24 January 2012.

Attachment 4 – Changes to Schedule 1, Key Characteristics table relating to the clearing of an additional 300 ha of vegetation to allow for the development of additional Pits, Waste Dumps and Ore Stockpiles – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 27 March 2013.

Attachment 5 – Removal of Groundwater criteria from the Key Characteristics Table – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 20 December 2016.

Attachment 6 - The change is to amend the authorised extent, including:

  • increase the water discharged from dewatering operations (by removing the criteria);
  • increase the maximum depth of pits from 50 m to 80 m; and
  • increase the maximum height of waste dumps (by removing the criteria).

Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 17 September 2018. 

Attachment 7 – Reduce the authorised land disturbance within the development envelope at
Murrin Murrin East by 1,650 hectares (ha). Increase in authorised land disturbance to Murrin Murrin North and Murrin Murrin
South by 1,650 ha. Reduce the total spatial extent of the development envelope from 68,888 ha to
20,172 ha through the following:
o decrease the existing development envelope for Murrin Murrin North and Murrin Murrin South by 23,774 ha, from 37,435 ha to 13,661 ha.
o decrease the existing development envelope for Murrin Murrin East by 24,942 ha from 31,453 ha to 6,511 ha. – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 6 November 2023.

Attachment 8 – No additional clearing, emissions or discharges or changes to the life of mine. Ministerial Statement figures updated to include proposal supporting infrastructure previously presented in Attachment 6 and incorrectly omitted from Attachment 7 due to an administrative error. Figures updated to include water pipeline connections that were omitted due to an error of transcription in Attachment 6. The development envelope details in Table 2 updated to correctly reference mining and borefield development envelopes referenced in the corrected figures. The development envelope extent of 20,172 hectares (ha) in Table 2 has been moved to the correct location under ‘Pits, Waste Dumps and Ore Stockpiles’ in Table 2. – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 24 April 2024.

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Monday, 31 January, 2005
Thursday, 8 December, 2005
Tuesday, 24 January, 2012
Wednesday, 27 March, 2013
Tuesday, 20 December, 2016
Monday, 17 September, 2018
Monday, 6 November, 2023
Wednesday, 24 April, 2024

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/murrin-murrin-nickel-cobalt-project-stage-2-expansion