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Koolan Island Iron Ore Mine and Port Facility

Project
Proponent: 
Aztec Resources Limited
Proposal description: 

Re-opening of an iron ore mine; construction of associated infrastructure and a port facility on Koolan Island; and subsequent rehabilitation and decommissioning of the site.

Assessment Number: 
1605
Region: 
Kimberley
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Infrastructure
Iron Ore
Last updated: 
April 24, 2024
Current Status: 
Ministerial Statement published
Ministerial Statement published
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assessment on referral information (ARI)
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Benthic Communities and Habitats
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Environmental Quality
Date published: 
Monday, 7 November, 2005
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1203
EPA Report: 
PDF icon Koolan Island Iron Ore Mine and Port Facility
Key Environmental Factors: 
Marine Environmental Quality
Marine Fauna
Flora and Vegetation
Date published: 
Monday, 7 November, 2005
Appeals close: 
Monday, 21 November, 2005
5. Decision on proposal and implementation of proposal
Ministerial Statement
Date of approval: 
Wednesday, 22 February, 2006
Ministerial Statement: 
PDF icon Ministerial Statement 715.pdf
Post-assessment changes
s. 45C amendments: 

Attachment 1 to Statement 715 - Increase in the accomodation capacity from 200 to 320 people approved under s45C on 2 April 2008.

Attachment 2 to Statement 715 - Increase to the disturbance area from 540 hectares to 590 hectares - change to proposal approved under s45C on 4 Mar 2009.

Attachment 3 to Statement 715 – Increase in groundwater abstraction from 75 kilolitres per day to 120 kilolitres per day of fresh water from existing bores, for potable use – change to proposal approved under s45C on 11 January 2012.

Attachment 4 to Statement 715 – Increase to disturbance footprint from 590 ha to 650 ha – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 21 June 2012.

Attachment 5 to Statement 715 – Increase to disturbance footprint from 650 ha to 655 ha – change to proposal approved under section 45C on 26 November 2014.

Attachment 6 to Statement 715 - Reclamation, crushing and shipping of quartzite ore from waste dumps - change to proposal approved under section 45C on 20 May 2015.

Attachment 7 to Statement 715 - Reconstruction of a portion of engineered seawall at Arbitration Cove; Dewatering approximately 25 GL of seawater from the inundated Main Pit at a rate of up to approximately 1,600 L/s; and Administrative change to amend total disturbance area for the proposal from approximately 655 ha” to “up to 670 ha” - change to proposal approved under section 45C on 13 April 2018.

Attachment 8 to Statement 715 - Changes:

  • Include airfield as part of the infrastructure required
  • Minor (<1ha) change to KIO disturbance footprint at the site of the proposed airstrip to be offset with the exclusion of an equivalent sized area.

Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 20 August 2019.

Attachment 9 to Statement 715 - Introduce a 1,211 ha development envelope and amend disturbance footprint as depicted in Figure 1. Remove the prescribed pit depths at closure. Remove the prescribed waste rock capacity. Remove maintenance of dewatering and reference to the Marine Management Plan (MMP) and remove dewatering of Main Pit and discharge associated with reconstruction of the seawall. Amend the prescribed potable water use limit of 120 kl per day to a maximum of 200000 kl/annum inclusive of both potable and non-potable water use over the remaining of the life of mine. Include operation of the seawall barge ramp and the construction of the seawall decommission trench within the proposed development envelope. Amend the reference to processing in the key characteristics table from ‘two-stage dry crushing and screening plant’ to ‘dry crushing and screening plant’. Change to proposal approved under section 45C on 24 April 2024.

Date of approval s. 45C: 
Wednesday, 2 April, 2008
Wednesday, 4 March, 2009
Wednesday, 11 January, 2012
Thursday, 21 June, 2012
Wednesday, 26 November, 2014
Wednesday, 20 May, 2015
Friday, 13 April, 2018
Tuesday, 20 August, 2019
Wednesday, 24 April, 2024

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/koolan-island-iron-ore-mine-and-port-facility