PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has told ASX-listed Metallica Minerals that it will not require an environmental-impact statement (EIS) for its Urquhart bauxite project.
The determination by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection follows an earlier determination from the federal government also confirming that the project did not require an EIS.
The Urquhart project is expected to produce between 1.5-million and 2-million tonnes a year of direct shipping bauxite.
The bauxite project forms part of the greater Cape York heavy mineral sands and bauxite joint venture between Metallica subsidiary Oresome Australia and China’s Ozore Resources.
“We are extremely pleased that the hard and diligent work completed by our joint venture team and its consultants, to understand and develop a sustainable bauxite mining development plan on our deposits just south of Weipa on Cape York, has been recognised by both the Queensland and commonwealth governments,” said Metallica CEO Simon Slesarewich.
He noted that this determination should see a mining lease granted in the first quarter of 2017, allowing mobilisation of mining contractors to start immediately after the wet season.
“We anticipate that this, in turn, will deliver first production from Urquhart during the second quarter of 2017.”