Olive Downs Project

Project overview*

EIS statusApproved with conditions
Description Greenfield metallurgical coal mine with a yield of up to 15 million tonnes of product coal per annum for steel production.
Proponent Pembroke Olive Downs Pty Ltd.
Location/s Approximately 40 km south-east of Moranbah. Map
Local government/s Isaac Regional Council.
Investment $1b
Key features
  • open-cut metallurgical coal mine
  • coal handling and preparation plant
  • 18 km rail spur and on site rail loop
  • raw water pipeline connecting to the Eungella pipeline network
  • private access roads
  • electricity transmission line
  • wastewater and sewage treatment plants
Construction start date
  • Olive Downs South domain – 2019
  • Willunga domain - 2027
Jobs
  • 500 (construction)
  • 1000 (operational)

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Environmental impact statement (EIS) process

DateActivity
14 May 2020 Commonwealth Minister for the Environment’s approval of controlled action ‘Olive Downs Project Mine Site and Access Road’ (EPBC 2017/7867) subject to conditions.
30 April 2020 Commonwealth Minister for the Environment’s approval of controlled action ‘Olive Downs Project Electricity Transmission Line’ (EPBC 2017/7869) subject to conditions
14 April 2020 Commonwealth Minister for the Environment’s approval of controlled action ‘Olive Downs Project Water Pipeline’ (EPBC 2017/7868) subject to conditions
14 April 2020 Commonwealth Minister for the Environment’s approval of controlled action ‘Olive Downs Project Rail Spur’  (EPBC 2017/7870) subject to conditions
13 May 2019 Coordinator-General’s report on the final EIS released (PDF icon 6.7 MB)
13 May 2019 The Coordinator-General accepted the draft EIS as the final EIS.
21 March 2019 The proponent lodged a revised draft EIS.
12 December 2018 Additional information for the EIS requested by the Coordinator-General.
30 November 2018

Coordinator-General stated a new project declaration lapse date of 27 September 2019

10 September 2018 to 10 October 2018

Draft EIS public consultation

28 June 2017 Terms of reference for EIS (PDF icon 316 KB) released
08 April 2017 to 12 May 2017 Draft terms of reference (PDF icon 778 KB) for EIS public consultation
03 March 2017 Commonwealth Minister for the Environment decided the project is a 'controlled action'. More information
17 February 2017 Gazettal (PDF icon 239 KB) of 'coordinated project' declaration.
24 January 2017 Project referred to Commonwealth Minister for the Environment.
20 January 2017 Application, including initial advice statement (PDF icon 6.4 MB) , submitted.

Media releases

Media response

Further information

Read more about the EIS process.

Last updated: 16 Mar 2023