Mining Area C - Southern Flank

Project

Proponent:

Proposal description:

The proposal is to revise the Mining Area C operation (located approximately 90km WNW of Newman) to include a new satellite ore body which is located approximately 8 km to the south of the existing approved Mining Area C operations. The revised proposal would require the additional clearing of approximately 19,850 hectares of vegetation and mining below the water table.

Assessment Number:

2085

Region:

Pilbara

Referred under EP Act:

s38

Industry sector:

Iron Ore

Last updated:

June 17, 2025

Current Status:

Ministerial Statement published

1. Referral

Comment on this referral:

Mining Area C Revised Proposal

Comment period:

Wednesday, 8 June, 2016 to Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Referral documentation:

Referral Form

Signed Cover Letter

Figure 1 - Priority Flora

Figure 2 - Threatened Ecological Communities

Figure 3 - Aboriginal Sites Register

Figure 4 - Proposed Mine Layout

Figure 5 - Land Tenure

Figure 6 - Regional Location Map

2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal

Chair's Determination:

Assess - Public Environmental Review

Extract of determination:

2085-CD-040716.pdf

Preliminary Environmental Factors:

Hydrological Processes

Inland Waters Environmental Quality

Date published:

Monday, 4 July, 2016

3. Assessment

Scoping

Environmental scoping document:

Environmental Scoping Document - Mining Area C - Southern Flank (Final)

Approved:

Monday, 19 September, 2016

Environmental Review

Public submissions:

Monday, 8 May, 2017 to Tuesday, 6 June, 2017

Make a submission:

Public Environmental Review - Mining Area C – Southern Flank

Environmental Review documentation:

Environmental Review - main document

Appendix 1 - Authority to Act on Behalf of Joint Ventures.pdf

Appendix 2 - MAC EMP Rev 6_Final.pdf

Appendix 3 - DRAFT Biodiversity Condition Environmental Management Plan.pdf

Appendix 3 - EIA Checklist for marine and terrestrial-120516.pdf

Appendix 3 Environmental Scoping Document and Reference within this Document.pdf

Appendix 4 - Area C and Surrounds Flora and Vegetation Onshore 2011.pdf

Appendix 4 - Area C and Surrounds Flora and Vegetation Onshore 2011-Appendices.pdf

Appendix 4 - Flora and veg addendum.pdf

Appendix 4 - Flora and Veg EIA Southern Flank.pdf

Appendix 4 - Rev 6 EMP Flora and Vegetation EIA.pdf

Appendix 4 - South Flank Flora and Vegetation Onshore 2012.pdf

Appendix 4 - South Flank Flora and Vegetation Onshore 2012-Appendices.pdf

Appendix 5 - Ghost Bat EIA.pdf

Appendix 5 - Ghost Bat peer review.pdf

Appendix 5 - Rev 6 EMP SRE Invertebrate Fauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 5 - Rev 6 EMP Vertebrate Fauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 5 - SRE Invertebrate EIA.pdf

Appendix 5 - Vertebrate Fauna Desktop Assessment.pdf

Appendix 6 - Rev 6 EMP Stygofauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 6 - Rev 6 EMP Troglofauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 6 - Southern Flank Troglofauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 6 - Stygofauna EIA.pdf

Appendix 6 - Troglofauna Addendum #2.pdf

Appendix 6 - Troglofauna addendum 1.pdf

Appendix 7 - Central Pilbara Water Resource Management Plan 2.0_Draft.pdf

Appendix 7 - Coondewanna Flats EcoHydrology Review and Conceptual Model.pdf

Appendix 7 - Hydrological Impact Assessment.pdf

Appendix 7 - Rev 6 EMP Hydrological Impact and Management Summary.pdf

Appendix 7 - Surface Water EIA.pdf

Appendix 8 – Draft Cultural Heritage Management Plan is not available as it contains confidential cultural information

Appendix 8 - Section 18 Minsterial Constent South Flank.pdf

Appendix 9 - Air quality Modelling Summary.pdf

Appendix 10 - Visual Impact Addendum.pdf

Appendix 10 - Visual Impact Assessment.pdf

Appendix 11 - Noise Enviornmental Impact Assessment.pdf

Appendix 12 - BHP Billiton Iron Ore Rehabilitation Standard 0001074.pdf

Appendix 12 - Mine Closure Plan Mining Area C (Updated).pdf

Appendix 12 - Preliminary Southern Flank AMD Risk Assessment.pdf

Appendix 12 - WAIO AMD Management Standard 0096370.pdf

Appendix 13 - Offsets for Southern Flank.pdf

Proponent response to submissions:

Response to Submissions

Attachment 1 - New and Updated Figures and Tables.pdf

Attachment 2 - EPA correspondence regarding Juna Downs.pdf

Attachment 3 - Onshore Environmental Additional Information

Attachment 4 - Updated Draft Central Pilbara Water Resource Management Plan.pdf

Attachment 5 - Draft Biodiversity Management Plan.pdf

Attachment 6 - Short Range Endemic Supporting Information.pdf

Attachment 7 - Updated Hydrological Impact Assessment.pdf

Attachment 8 - Mine Closure Plan.pdf

Attachment 9 - Spectrum Ecology and ENV Reports.pdf

Attachment 10 - Ghost Bat Research Plan.pdf

South Flank troglofauna additional habitat assessment.pdf

Change to proposal during assessment under s. 43A

s. 43A notice:

S43A Notice 061117

Date of approval s. 43A:

Mon, 06/11/2017

4. EPA Report on assessment

EPA Report Number:

1610

EPA Report:

EPA Report 1610 - Mining Area C - Southern Flank Project

Key Environmental Factors:

Hydrological Processes

Date published:

Friday, 8 December, 2017

Appeals close:

Friday, 22 December, 2017

5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal

Ministerial Statement

Date of approval:

Tuesday, 20 February, 2018

Ministerial Statement:

Ministerial Statement 1072.pdf

Post-assessment changes

s. 45C amendments:

Attachment 1 to Ministerial Statement 1072 - Changes:

a new location for managed aquifer recharge in the South Flank Valley
discharge to a drainage line that leads to Pebble Mouse Creek.

Changes to proposal approved under section 45c on 15 January 2020.

Attachment 2 to Ministerial Statement 1072 - Ministerial Statement Figure 4 to be replaced with a figure identifying the correct area for “Area A” due to an administrative error. Figure updated that accurately reflects areas of ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ condition native vegetation to be offset.

Changes to proposal approved under s.45c on 17 June 2025.

Date of approval s. 45C:

Wednesday, 15 January, 2020

Tuesday, 17 June, 2025