REVEALED: 9 new coal mines you might not know about

ALP candidate for Burdekin Mike Brunker says the Adani project is only one chapter in bigger jobs story

ALP candidate for Burdekin Mike Brunker says Adani isn't the only mine that will create jobs for his electorate. Picture: Contributed

THE Labor Party's hot and cold relationship with Adani has taken another turn with candidate for Burdekin Mike Brunker spruiking a number of the smaller coal projects in the Bowen Basin --- Eagle Downs, Byerwen, Broughton, China Stone, Kevin's Corner, Moorlands, Moranbah South, Olive Downs and Red Hill.

Mr Brunker had urged Adani to 'get on with it' in the past, and labelled the NAIF loan a campaign storm in an election teacup. But the 20-year miner has turned his attention to nine other job-creating mine projects in the Bowen Basin and says the Adani project is "only one chapter in a bigger jobs story".

"This is an industry employing 38,000 people, spending $17 billion in Queensland and recording full-time employment growth of more than 12 per cent," Mr Brunker said.

"In the Burdekin region alone there are currently 10 new mining projects (including Adani) complementing the 23 already in operation, including at Collinsville in the north and Middlemount and Clermont in the south."

Mr Brunker said Burdekin electorate mining projects Eagle Downs, Byerwen, Broughton, China Stone, Kevin's Corner, Moorlands, Moranbah South, Olive Downs and Red Hill were currently with the Co-ordinator General for assessment.

OLIVE DOWNS

Located approximately 40km south-east of Moranbah, Olive Downs is an open cut coal mine with a yield of up to 14 million tonnes per annum of coking coal for steel production.

The project, which is poised for constructing in 2025, is expected to employ 500-700 people during construction and 960 people once operational.

EAGLE DOWNS

Located about 25km south-east of Morabnah, Eagle Downs is a proposed underground long wall coal mine. Eagle Downs has the potential to average 4.5 Mtpa, from one longwall over the first 10 years of full production. The mine's owner Aquila Resources was granted the mining lease in 2011, and in 2013 it was tipped to create 500 jobs by 2016. The mine's status is 'on care and maintenance'.

BYERWEN

Located 20 km west of Glenden and 140 km west of Mackay, Byerwen is an open-cut coal mine with a yield of up to 10 million tonnes per annum. It is expected to employ 350 people during construction and 545 people once operational.

BROUGHTON

The proposed Broughton Coal Mine would be located in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland approximately 100km west-south west of Mackay and 27km north-west of the township of Nebo. The open cut mine would produce up to three million tonnes a year of run-of-mine coal over 15 years. An estimated 100 personnel would be employed during construction increasing to 200 during the operational phase.

CHINA STONE

Located about 300km west of Mackay, the large scale open cut and underground coal mine is expected to produce 38 million tonnes per annum of thermal coal.

The project includes the open cut and underground mines as well as a coal handling and preparation plant, tailings and water storage facilities and airstrip, an accommodation village and a power station.

It is expected to create a whopping 3900 jobs during construction and 3400 once operational.

KEVIN'S CORNER

Located in the Galilee Basin about 160 km west of Emerald, Kevin's Corner includes two open cut coal mines, three underground mine areas, coal handling and preparation facilities, mine waste and water facilities, mine infrastructure area, a light industrial area, an on-site accommodation village, an on-site airstrip with a 2.5km runway, a 17.8 km rail spur and an 8 km mine access road.

It is expected to produce up to 30 million tonnes of coal per annum and could provide 1500 jobs during construction and 2000 when operational.

MOORLANDS

The Moorlands Projects, located in the Bowen Basin 25km west of Clermont and 14km west of Rio Tinto's Blair Athol coal mine, stretches over an area of 1000km2. The production rate is estimated to be around two million tonnes a year of run-of-mine coal for about 30 years.

MORANBAH SOUTH

Located about 3km south-east of Moranbah and 150km south-west of Mackay, the proposed Moranbah South project is a joint venture between Anglo Coal and Exxaro Australia.

The underground coal mine would produce coking coal for export at a rate of up to 18 million tonnes per annum for more than 30 years.

The proposed peak construction and operation workforce requirements approximate 878 and 1314 persons respectively.

RED HILL

The Red Hill project involves a new underground coking coal mine located 20 kilometres north of Moranbah which would produce 14 million tonnes per annum, and the expansion of existing coking coal mines Broadmeadow and Goonyella Riverside.

Up to 2000 jobs are expected during construction and 1500 people would be employed once operational.

Originally published as REVEALED: 9 new coal mines you might not know about