Concern for rehabilitation of Olive Downs mine

Lock the Gate activists are worried that three gaping voids would be left behind by the proposed coal project.

Bloomfield's Rix's Creek Mine. High school student Joanne tran is shown around an open cut coal mine in the Singleton area. Rix's Creek South Mine. Picture Rohan Kelly

ENVIRONMENTAL concerns have been raised regarding the rehabilitation of the site of the proposed Olive Downs metallurgicalcoal mine near Moranbah.

Rather than calling for the Federal Government to speed up the approval process for the project, Lock the Gate Rehabilitation spokesman Rick Humphries said they should be explaining to Queenslanders why the project would be allowed to leave three massive pit voids in a floodplain.

He said it was at odds with new rehabilitation laws - an allegation disputed by the government.

"Allowing the pit voids to be left would save Pembroke Coal's shareholders hundreds of millions of dollars. But the cost of failing to backfill the voids on the Isaac River floodplain would then be borne by Queenslanders," Mr Humphries said.

"Leaving these voids un-rehabilitated represents a serious long-term threat to the river and downstream users.

"Letting Olive Downs off the hook will also cost the Central Queensland economy. Every dollar not spent by Pembroke on full rehabilitation is a dollar not spent in Central Queensland by the company."

He said the public's confidence would be "shot to bits" if the policy wasn't applied.

An Office of the Coordinator General spokesperson said evaluation for Pembroke's Olive Downs mine was ­finalised in May 2019 and the evaluation report included more than 100 pages of conditions designed to limit, manage and offset impacts.

While the Environmental Authority application for the project was submitted prior to the commencement of the new rehabilitation legal provisions, they said it would be assessed under transitional arrangements.

"The Department of Environment and Science approved the project's Environmental Authority application in October 2019," the spokesperson said.

"All impacts were comprehensively identified and assessed objectively on their merits and stringent conditions were set to ensure that post-mining the land is stable, safe and nonpolluting."

This mine was anticipated to strongly contribute to regional employment with 500 jobs created during construction and 1000 ongoing operational jobs.

"The proponent estimates the project will contribute $8 billion to the local economy and more than $10 billion to the Queensland economy," the y said.

"Metallurgical coal produced in the Bowen Basin in mines such as the proposed Olive Downs project is in high demand for use in steel production in Asia, bringing economic benefits for our State."

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