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Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project

Project
Proponent: 
VRX Silica Limited
Proposal description: 

VRX Silica Ltd propose to develop a silica sand mine in the Geraldton Sandplain bioregion of Western Australia, approximately 270 km north of Perth. 

The proposal would include a total disturbance of 412.2 hectares of native vegetation and will involve sequential mining of sand 8 – 15 metres below the soil surface. Vegetation and topsoil will be relocated to rehabilitation areas using the Vegetation Direct Transfer method. 

Mining will be undertaken in sections by removing blocks (typically 150m by 150m) with an estimated five blocks mined per year. The life of the proposal is estimated to be 30 years.

Assessment Number: 
2291
Region: 
Mid West
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Sand, rock, gravel and clay
Last updated: 
January 9, 2025
Current Status: 
EPA Report and Recommendations released - appeals open
EPA Report and Recommendations released - appeals open
1. Referral
Comment on this referral: 
Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project
Comment period: 
Thursday, 1 April, 2021 to Friday, 9 April, 2021
Referral documentation: 
PDF icon Referral Form
PDF icon Supplementary Report.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 02 - Iluka VDT Trial.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 03 - Review of Roots and VDT.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 04 - Flora and Vegetation Assessment Arrowsmith North.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 05 - Flora and Vegetation Assessment Arrowsmith North Access Corridor.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 06 - Phytophthora Dieback Occurrence Assessment.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 08 - Fauna Assessment of Arrowsmith North Mine Area.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 09 - SRE Invertebrate Desktop Assessment.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 10 - EPBC Offset Calculations.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 11 - Interview with Barry Dodd.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 12 - Post VDT Carnabys Black-Cockatoo Foraging Value.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 13 - Surface Water Report.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 14 - Hydrogeological Assessment.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 15 - Acid Base Accounting Analysis.PDF
PDF icon Appendix 16 - Heritage Survey.PDF
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Public Environmental Review
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Inland Waters
Date published: 
Monday, 24 May, 2021
3. Assessment
Scoping
Environmental scoping document: 
PDF icon CMS17888 - ESD Approved - 150322
Approved: 
Tuesday, 15 March, 2022
Environmental Review
Public submissions: 
Monday, 19 June, 2023 to Sunday, 16 July, 2023
Make a submission: 
Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project - Public Environmental Review
Environmental Review documentation: 
PDF icon Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project - Environmental Review Document - Rev 0.pdf
PDF icon Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project - Proposal Content Document.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 02_Iluka VDT Trial.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 03_Environmental Datasheet.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 04_Rehabilitation Strategy.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 05_Significant Flora Management Plan.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 06_Flora and Vegetation Assessment of Arrowsmith North Survey Area.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 07_Paracaleana dixonii Search Arrowsmith North Project - Initial Mine and Plant Area.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 08_Review of roots and VDT.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 09_Investigation of root systems of Priority Flora species in the Arrowsmith North mine survey area.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 10_Phytophthroa Dieback Occurance Assessment Arrowsmith North Mine.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 11_Phytophthroa Dieback Occurance Assessment Access Arrowsmith North Access.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 12_Fauna Management Plan.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 13_Dieback Management Plan.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 14_Fauna Assessment of Arrowsmith North.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 15_Arrowsmith North SRE Invertebrate Desktop Assessment.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 16_Arrowsmith North SRE Invertebrate Survey.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 17_Water Supply Operating Strategy.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 18_Transcript Pers. Comm. Barry Dodd - January 2021.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 19_BCE Foraging Value After VDT.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 20_Surface Water Report.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 21_Hydrogeological Feasibility Assessment.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 22_Acid base accounting analysis.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 23_H3 Hydrogeological Assessment.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 24_Archaeological and ethnographic heritage survey over Arrowsmith North.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 25_Final archaeological and ethnographic heritage survey over Arrowsmith North.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 26_Assessment of Aboriginal Heritage Values and Traditional Uses.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 27_YSRC Heritage Survey Arrowsmith North Mine Development Area.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 28_Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 29_Offset Strategy.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 30_Air Emissions Desktop Assessment.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 31_EPBC Offsets Calculator.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 32_WA Offsets Calculator.pdf
Date Published (Environmental Review documentation): 
June 19, 2023
Proponent response to submissions: 
PDF icon Response to Submissions - Rev 0 September 2024_Part1.pdf
PDF icon Response to Submissions - Rev 0 September 2024_Part2.pdf
PDF icon Response to Submissions - Rev 0 September 2024_Part3.pdf
PDF icon Response to Submissions - Rev 0 September 2024_Part4.pdf
PDF icon Proposal Content Document - Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project.pdf
PDF icon EPA correspondence - Response to Submissions.pdf
PDF icon App 01 - P. dixonii Targeted Survey.pdf
PDF icon App 02 - Rehabilitation Management Plan_Part1.pdf
PDF icon App 02 - Rehabilitation Management Plan_Part2.pdf
PDF icon App 02 - Rehabilitation Management Plan_Part3.pdf
PDF icon App 03 - Dieback Management Plan.pdf
PDF icon App 04 - Supplementary Flora and Vegetation Part A.pdf
PDF icon App 05 - Roots and VDT.pdf
PDF icon App 06 - Offset Strategy.pdf
PDF icon App 07 - Supplementary Flora and Vegetation Part B.pdf
PDF icon App 08 - Radioactive Assay Assessment.pdf
PDF icon App 09 - Water Mass Balance.pdf
PDF icon App 10 - AHIS results for Arrowsmith River and Proposal Boundary.pdf
Date published (Proponent response to submissions): 
November 14, 2024
Change to proposal during assessment under s. 43A
s. 43A notice: 
PDF icon CMS17888 - S43A Notice - 131021.pdf
PDF icon CMS1788 - S43A Notice - 140622.pdf
PDF icon s. 43A Notice - 251024.pdf
Date of approval s. 43A: 
Fri, 25/10/2024
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1778
EPA Report: 
PDF icon EPA Report 1778 Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project.pdf
Key Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Date published: 
Thursday, 9 January, 2025
Appeals close: 
Thursday, 30 January, 2025

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/arrowsmith-north-silica-sand-project