Jilalan Rail Yard

Project overview*

EIS status: EIS complete

The Jilalan Rail Yard, owned and operated by Queensland Rail (QR), is located near the town of Sarina in Central Queensland. The proposed expansion of the yard will incorporate two new bypass tracks with room for a third, two provisioning tracks, a provisioning facility, a wagon maintenance facility, and modifications to the existing yard and maintenance tracks.

With the expected expansion of Dalrymple Bay/Hay Point ports to approximately 130 million tonnes per year, there is a need for rail upgrades to complement the port facilities. The Jilalan Rail Yard project will be a key item in this strategy.

Environmental Impact Statement process

On 8 May 2007, the Coordinator-General declared the Jilalan Rail Yard project a 'significant project' for which an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required in accordance with Part 4 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (Qld).

On 10 April 2007, the delegate for the Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water Resources decided that the project did not constitute a controlled action pursuant to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

The Department of Infrastructure and Planning is managing the EIS process on behalf of the Coordinator-General. The Coordinator-General invited written comments on the EIS until 26 October 2007.

The Coordinator-General has now produced a Report Evaluating the EIS, and has concluded that the project can proceed, subject to conditions. These conditions will be applied to the Development Approval to be issued by the local authority which is either the Sarina Shire Council, or after the local government amalgamations, the Mackay Regional Council.

Resources

The Coordinator-General’s Evaluation Report on the EIS(PDF, 2.6 MB)

A copy of the Supplementary EIS is available on the Queensland Rail website for viewing or downloading. No further public comments are sought on this project.

A copy of the full EIS on the project is also available at the Queensland Rail website.

Further information

Project information can be obtained from the Queensland Rail website.

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.