A proposed resources development received regulatory backing in northwest Queensland.
The State Government recently granted mining leases for North West Phosphate’s Paradise South Complex, 130kms northwest of Mount Isa.
The project involves constructing an open-cut phosphate mine with a capacity of 7 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
A 2 Mtpa ore concentrate production beneficiation plant and start-up tailings storage facility will also be required.
Other components include a:
- return water pipeline
- substation/transformer
- slurry dewatering and rail load out facility in Mount Isa
- 2500 megalitre per annum yield water supply dam and raw water pipeline
- 20km long access road/haul road from the proposed mine to McNamara Road
- 45km long water pipeline from the Thorntonia Borefield to the beneficiation plant
- 20km electricity transmission line from the Mica Creek–Century Zinc transmission line
- 142km pipeline consisting of a slurry pipeline from the project beneficiation plant to Mount Isa
- purpose built accommodation facility near the mine or accommodation facilities at existing mine camps.
The construction phase is expected to create 200 jobs while 245 workers will be employed once operational.
“We will continue to work with the Queensland Government to get this project off the ground as soon as possible,” Northwest Phosphate executive chairman John Cotter said in a public statement.
“This project was first talked about decades ago but it is the cutting edge project design underpinned by world class technology that has been put together by the North West Phosphate project team that will make sure this project becomes a reality.”
“The grant of the mining leases for this project northwest of Mount Isa is a vote of confidence from not just this government but from companies like North West Phosphate,” State Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart added.
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