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Cloudbreak Life of Mine Expansion

Project
Proponent: 
Fortescue Metals Group Limited
Proposal description: 

The proposal includes the existing Cloudbreak iron ore mine and proposed expansion. The existing mine includes open pit strip mining, backfilling of pits, progressive rehabilitation and ore processing. The expansion includes increasing ore production, development of new pits and permanent waste landforms, the development of new infrastructure, additional dewatering and water disposal activities, an upgrade of the ore processing facility.

Assessment Number: 
1848
Region: 
Pilbara
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Infrastructure
Iron Ore
Last updated: 
February 9, 2024
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Public Environmental Review
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon 1848-ChairDets-041010.pdf
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Hydrological Processes
Inland Waters Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Monday, 4 October, 2010
3. Assessment
Environmental Review
Public submissions: 
Monday, 11 April, 2011 to Monday, 23 May, 2011
Environmental Review documentation: 
PDF icon Public Environmental Review - Cloudbreak Life of Mine Project
Proponent response to submissions: 
PDF icon Proponent Response to Submissions
PDF icon Additional information requested by the EPA
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1429
EPA Report: 
PDF icon Report 1429 - Cloudbreak Life of Mine Project
Key Environmental Factors: 
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Hydrological Processes
Inland Waters Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Wednesday, 8 February, 2012
Appeals close: 
Wednesday, 22 February, 2012
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Comments: 

The conditions of this Statement supersede the conditions of Ministerial Statement 721 (published on 24 April 2006, changed on 25 September 2009, 12 July 2010 and 10 June 2011).

Date of approval: 
Tuesday, 5 June, 2012
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Ministerial Statement 899.pdf
Post-assessment changes
Section 46 inquiry: 
Cloudbreak Life of Mine Project - Section 46 [1980]
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 to Statement 899 – Change to Table 1 in Schedule 1 for increase in reinjection requirements and integration of groundwater management between Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mines – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 20 December 2013.

Attachment 2 to Statement 899 – Temporary increase in dewatering from 100 GL/a to 125 GL/a until 31 July 2016 and temporary increase in reinjection from 95 GL/a to 115 GL/a until 31 July 2016 – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 24 November 2014.

Attachment 3 to Statement 899 – Expansion of the Project Area by 590 hectares to include tenements M46/450 and M46/453; correction of clerical error to Project Area to state 34,800 ha and include the 590 ha increase, totalling 35,390 ha; and correction of clerical error to Existing Mine from 5,000 ha to state 5,500 ha – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 20 March 2015.

Attachment 4 to Statement 899 - Temporary Presence of Water in Mining Pits – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 9 June 2017.

Attachment 5 to Statement 899 - Changes:

  • Amendment of the Proposal’s Project Area to remove overlap with adjacent Christmas Creek Project and inclusion of Northern Tenements into the Project Area and Mine Envelope (shown as the hatched area within Figure 1 and 2, respectively);
  • Allow for below water-table tailings disposal; and
  • Changes to Table 2, removing:
    • Project Life
    • Mining Method; and
    • Pit Depth. – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 24 May 2018.

Attachment 6 to Statement 899 - Changes:

  • Changes to Table 2, removing the time limit for the temporary presence of water in mining pits.
  • Approval of presence of water in inactive mine pits.
  • Below water table pits are required to be backfilled to a level which will not allow the formation of permanent pit lakes.

Changes to proposal approved under section 45C on 6 June 2019.

Attachment 7 to Statement 899 – Increase the existing groundwater and reinjection abstraction limit at the Cloudbreak mine from 150 GL/annum to 175 GL/annum. Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 9 February 2024.

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Friday, 20 December, 2013
Monday, 24 November, 2014
Friday, 20 March, 2015
Friday, 9 June, 2017
Thursday, 24 May, 2018
Thursday, 6 June, 2019
Friday, 9 February, 2024

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/cloudbreak-life-mine-expansion