Galilee Coal Northern Export Facility Project (also known as China First Coal Project)

Project overview*

EIS status EIS active
Description Open-cut and underground coal mines (with a total yield of 40 million tonnes per annum and capacity for future expansion); railway line; and port facility.
Proponent Waratah Coal Pty Ltd
Location/s
  • Mines: Galilee Basin, near Alpha, about 450 km west of Rockhampton
  • Railway line: from mines to the Abbot Point StateDevelopment Area (APSDA) near Bowen
  • Port facility: at Port of Abbot Point
Map
Local government/s
  • Barcaldine Regional Council (mines and rail)
  • Isaac Regional Council (rail)
  • Whitsunday Regional Council (rail and port)
Key features
  • 4 x underground mines
  • 2 x open-cut coal mines
  • 468 km standard-gauge railway line
  • coal stockyard and transfer infrastructure (within the APSDA)
  • ship berths (within the proposed Multi Cargo Facility at the Port of Abbot Point)
Investment $7.63 billion
Expected completion 2014
Jobs
  • 6000 (construction)
  • 1500 (operational)

Environmental impact statement (EIS) process

Date Activity
Pending Coordinator-General's report on EIS.
26 September 2011 to
19 December 2011		 Public consultation on EIS
28 August 2009 Terms of reference for EIS (PDF, 526 KB) released.
30 May 2009 to
29 June 2009		 Public consultation on draft terms of reference for EIS.
20 March 2009 Project deemed a ‘controlled action’ by federal environment minister.
13 February 2009 Project referred to federal environment minister.
28 November 2008 Gazettal of ‘significant project’ declaration.
28 October 2008 Application, including initial advice statement (PDF, 386 KB), submitted.

Read more about the EIS process.

Project variation

This project is a variation of an earlier project proposal by the proponent involving a port at Shoalwater Bay.

That project was declared significant on 18 July 2008 but was subsequently rejected by the federal environment minister due to its unacceptable impacts on the environment.

Media releases

Further information

For more information, visit the Waratah Coal website.

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.