EPA Western Australia
Published on EPA Western Australia (https://www.epa.wa.gov.au)

Home > Printer-friendly > Printer-friendly > Coburn Mineral Sand Project

Coburn Mineral Sand Project

Project
Proponent: 
Gunson Resources Limited
Proposal description: 

The proposal is to develop a mineral sand mine for the excavation and processing of a portion of the low-grade heavy mineral sand deposit, the Amy Zone, into a heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) in the Shark Bay district of Western Australia. The Amy Zone is approximately 35 km long, up to 3 km wide and 5 - 40 m thick.

Assessment Number: 
1491
Region: 
Mid West
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Mineral sands
Last updated: 
October 26, 2023
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Public Environmental Review
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Terrestrial Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Monday, 13 October, 2003
3. Assessment
Scoping
Approved: 
Thursday, 18 November, 2004
Environmental Review
Public submissions: 
Monday, 4 July, 2005 to Monday, 29 August, 2005
Environmental Review documentation: 
PDF icon PER document
PDF icon Appendix A Scope of Works
PDF icon Appendix B Relevant Legislation
PDF icon Appendix C Soils Report
PDF icon Appendix D Groundwater Study
PDF icon Appendix E Rehabilitation Benchmarking Study
PDF icon Appendix F Draft Rehabilitation Plan
PDF icon Appendix G Peer Reviews
PDF icon Appendix H Draft Closure Plan
PDF icon Appendix I Radiation Report
PDF icon Appendix J Vegetation Survey
PDF icon Appendix K Fauna Survey
PDF icon Appendix L Stygofauna Survey
PDF icon Appendix M Sustainability Plan
PDF icon Appendix N Air Quality Report
PDF icon Appendix O Draft EMP
PDF icon Appendix P Noise Report
Proponent response to submissions: 
PDF icon Proponent's response to submissions
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1211
EPA Report: 
PDF icon Coburn Mineral Sand Project
Key Environmental Factors: 
Terrestrial Environmental Quality
Terrestrial Fauna
Water
Hydrological Processes
Date published: 
Monday, 5 December, 2005
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Date of approval: 
Monday, 22 May, 2006
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Statement 723.pdf
Post-assessment changes
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 to Statement 723 – Change to the mining method and the location of the mine infrastructure – change to proposal approved under s45C on 16 March 2007.

Attachment 2 to Statement 723 – Change to project life and location of disturbance footprint – change to proposal approved under s45C on 21 September 2011.

Attachment 3 to Statement 723 – Removal of time restrictions for increasing rate of mining and processing as well as the estimated volume of tailings – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 10 April 2014.

Attachment 4 to Statement 723  – Modification of the:

  • disturbance footprint
  • pit design
  • mining schedule
  • infrastructure relocations to align with the optimised pits
  • access track realignments
  • project life 

Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 23 September 2020.

Attachment 5 to Statement 723 – Changes:

  • To construct an intersection between the access road and the North West Coastal Highway
  • Relocation of borrow pits along the access road
  • Realign the access road to remove a bend
  • To include a power and pipeline corridor to the Wet Concentrator Plant.

Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 9 November 2021.

Attachment 6 to Statement 723 Realign the approved disturbance footprint of 3585.5 ha to include clearing for mine infrastructure and inclusion of a development envelope of 4,014 ha. Construct and operate an aerodrome with a disturbance footprint of 55.4 ha. Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 26 October 2023.

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Friday, 16 March, 2007
Wednesday, 21 September, 2011
Thursday, 10 April, 2014
Wednesday, 23 September, 2020
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/coburn-mineral-sand-project