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Lake Wells Potash Project

Project
Proponent: 
Australian Potash Limited
Proposal description: 

Australian Potash Limited proposes to abstract brine resources to produce a sulfate of potash (SOP) product at the Lake Wells Potash Project.

The proposal area is located on and adjacent to the Lake Wells Playa Lake system (salt lake terrain), approximately 160km north-northeast of Laverton in Western Australia.

The proposal would include construction of an SOP processing plant, brine abstraction bores, evaporation ponds, raw water bore field, accommodation village and other associated infrastructure.

Disturbance associated with the proposal would be up to 2466 hectares on Playa and up to 746 hectares off Playa. Groundwater abstraction for the proposal would be up to 40 Gigalitres per annum of brine and up to 1.8 Gigalitres per annum of fresh/brackish water.

Assessment Number: 
2144
Region: 
Goldfields Esperance
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Industrial
Last updated: 
February 1, 2021
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
1. Referral
Comment on this referral: 
Lake Wells Potash Project
Comment period: 
Monday, 8 January, 2018 to Monday, 15 January, 2018
Referral documentation: 
PDF icon Referral Form.pdf
PDF icon Supporting Document
PDF icon Appendix 1 - Stakeholder Engagement Register.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 2 - Survey Summary.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3 - Hydraulic Study.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 4 - Hydrogeological Review.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 5 - Level 1 Flora Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 6 - Level 2 Flora Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 7 - Detailed Flora Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 8 - GDE Memo.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 9 - Fauna Assessment Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 10 - Level 2 Fauna Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 11 - Lake Ecology Baseline Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 12 - Subterranean Fauna Assesment.pdf
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Environmental review - No public review
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon Lake Wells Potash Project
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Flora and Vegetation
Subterranean Fauna
Terrestrial Fauna
Hydrological Processes
Date published: 
Monday, 5 February, 2018
3. Assessment
Scoping
Environmental scoping document: 
PDF icon Lake Wells - Environmental Scoping Document
Approved: 
Friday, 21 September, 2018
Environmental Review
Environmental Review documentation: 
PDF icon Environmental Review Document.pdf
PDF icon Environmental Scoping Document Revision 2 - Final.pdf
PDF icon Mine Closure Plan FINAL.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3A Lake Wells Potash Project Detailed Flora and Vegetation Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3B Lake Wells Potash Project Detailed Flora and Vegetation Survey 2017.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3C Targeted Samphire Survey Memorandum.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3D Lake Wells NDVI, NDWI and ET Calculations Memorandum.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3E Australian Potash Lake Wells Level 2 Fauna Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3F Lake Wells Project Level 2 Fauna Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3G Lake Wells Lake Ecology Baseline Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3H Lake Wells SRE Survey Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3I - Lake Wells subterranean fauna report_final.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3J Lake Wells Hydraulic Study Dec 2017.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3K Lake Wells Hydrology Study Summary.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3L Lake Wells H1 Potable & Process Water Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3M Lake Wells H3 Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3N Lake Wells Lakebed Sediment Characterisation Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3Q Additional Sampling for Aquatic Invertebrates, Tiger Beetles and Shorebirds at Lake Wells.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3R Lake Wells Potash Project Surface Water Assessment.pdf
Date Published (Environmental Review documentation): 
June 16, 2020
Minor or preliminary work under s. 41A(3)
s. 41A(3) notice: 
PDF icon CMS16262-S41A Notice-060520.pdf
Date of approval s. 41A(3): 
Wednesday, 6 May, 2020
Change to proposal during assessment under s. 43A
s. 43A notice: 
PDF icon CMS16262 - S43A Notice - 160518.pdf
PDF icon CMS16262 - S43A - 070820.pdf
Date of approval s. 43A: 
Wed, 16/05/2018
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1688
EPA Report: 
PDF icon EPA Report 1688 - Lake Wells Potash Project - assessment report.pdf
Date published: 
Monday, 7 September, 2020
Appeals close: 
Monday, 21 September, 2020
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Date of approval: 
Monday, 1 February, 2021
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Statement 1162.pdf
Post-assessment changes
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 to Statement 1162 - Changes:
• Realignment of the on-playa development envelope and operations resulting in 498 ha increase in the development envelope and reduction of disturbance by 1,015 ha • Realignment of the off-playa development envelope and operations resulting in 2,199 ha reduction in development envelope and reduction in clearing of 247 ha • Increase the rate of brine abstraction in the first 16 years to 21.3 GL per annum with abstraction rates dropping during years 17 to 30, resulting in an overall abstraction of up to 597 GL over the life of the project • Increase in process/potable water abstraction by 0.3 GL per annum.

Changes approved under S45c on 25 January 2022

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Tuesday, 25 January, 2022

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/lake-wells-potash-project