Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail project The Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail project has been approved under national environment law subject to 36 strict conditions.

The conditions protect the environment by: Rigorous conditions to protect • Responding to all advice from the Independent Expert threatened species Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC), with further and The approval conditions will provide long-term benefits strengthened conditions. for the environment through the development of an offset • Requiring protection and improvement of package. These measures must be detailed in a Biodiversity 31,000 hectares of southern black-throated finch habitat. Offset Strategy that must be approved by the Commonwealth • Requiring $1 million of funding for research programs Environment Minister before mining can start. to improve conservation of threatened species in the At a minimum this must include protection of: Galilee Basin. • 31,000 hectares of black-throated finch habitat • Ensuring protection of Doongmabulla Springs through • 135 hectares of ornamental snake habitat strict monitoring of groundwater and triggers to take action so impacts do not exceed the approved limits. • 5,600 hectares of yakka skink habitat.

The previous decision to approve the project was set aside at These protected areas must also be managed to improve their the request of the Australian Government in August 2015 as biodiversity value. a precautionary measure. This was due to the possibility that Additionally, $1 million will be provided over 10 years to the advice on the approval decision had not been provided in protect threatened species in the Galilee Basin. a particular manner which may have affected the validity of the decision. Strict conditions to protect This approval follows a rigorous environmental assessment undertaken by the Queensland Coordinator-General water resources under the One-Stop Shop assessment bilateral process. Protecting precious water resources from the impacts of large This assessment was reviewed and verified by the Australian coal mines is a priority of the Australian Government. Government Department of the Environment. The interim and statutory Independent Expert Scientific In making the decision, the Commonwealth Environment Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Minister has considered all relevant new information, as well Development (IESC) provided advice on the project on as the previous assessment of the project. Additional material 29 June 2012 and 16 December 2013. The Commonwealth was provided by Adani, the Mackay Conservation Group, Environment Minister also visited the site with the then the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Environmental Chair of the Committee. The conditions of approval fully Defenders Office, Birdlife Australia and the Black-throated respond to the recommendations in this advice. Finch Recovery Team. BIO472.1015 environment.gov.au The proponent must prepare comprehrensive groundwater The research will help us better understand the role of the management plans and strategies and mining cannot Rewan Formation in limiting impacts from mining to the start until they are approved by the Commonwealth groundwater of the Great Artesian Basin. This research will Environment Minister. provide additional certainty that potential impacts from the mine on the Springs, and the Great Artesian Basin more They must include: broadly, are understood and properly managed. • Measures to ’return’ at least 730 mega-litres of water per year for five years to the Great Artesian Basin to replace water used during mining. Water use • Monitoring to detect any changes to groundwater early, The mine will use water during operation. This water will setting of early warning triggers, and identification be licensed by the Queensland Government under the and implementation of measures to address any Water Act 2000. unforseen impacts. • Regular reviews of the groundwater model to make sure Most of the water will come from groundwater that flows that it reflects the best available science methods and into the mining pits or from rain that enters the mining area environmental information. during the wet season. Most of this water will come from the Galilee Basin. Protecting the The groundwater modelling shows that a maximum of 15 agricultural bores are predicted to be impacted by the Doongmabulla Springs mine. Under Queensland Government legislation the mine The Doongmabulla Springs are part of the community of operator must ‘make good’ the long-term water security for native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater any groundwater users impacted by the project. This means from the Great Artesian Basin, and are home to three that if they can no longer access groundwater through nationally listed threatened plants—the endangered blue their existing bores, the company must provide alternative devil, the vulnerable waxy cabbage palm and the endangered water access. salt pipewort. Additionally the mine is required to reduce the amount The groundwater model predicts how groundwater responds of water extracted from the Great Artesian Basin by to the operation of the mine. The modelling has predicted 730 mega-litres of water each year, for five years. that groundwater feeding the springs will decrease by a maximum of 20 centimetres, which is the level of impact Cumulative impacts that has been approved. The environmental assessment considered cumulative The approval conditions include strict conditions that limit impacts from other mines in the region on the environment the drawdown to 20 centimetres, to protect the Springs and and water. The conditions set out an adaptive management the unique species that are found there. The Groundwater framework to manage cumulative impacts. This includes Monitoring and Management Plan will also include details early warning systems and triggers, and requires the of a monitoring system to ensure that there is early warning proponent to clearly set out response measures to address if there are unforseen impacts, different to those predicted impacts to water resources. by the model. In addition, the approach to water management must If the early warning triggers are exceeded, the proponent be reviewed and updated over the life of the mine, must identify and implement corrective measures to ensure incorporating data collected from monitoring as the that the approved limits of impact are not exceeded. mining progresses. In addition, a research program will be undertaken on All monitoring data from the project will be made the Rewan Formation. This is a geological formation available for use in a bioregional assessment of the Galilee that separates the Galilee Basin and the Great Artesian Basin sub-region, to ensure that cumulative impacts are Basin and restricts water from flowing between the two understood and addressed in future management of mining underground aquifers. across the region.

environment.gov.au The mine is approximately 300 kilometres inland from Representations on Indigenous cultural heritage issues the Queensland coast in a dry and dusty region of outback were made on behalf of the Wangan and Jagalingou People Queensland. Mining will not have any direct impacts on during the public comment period for the environmental the reef. impact statement. The issues raised have been considered in both the Queensland and Australian Government The Australian Government is committed to ensuring assessments of the project. the Great Barrier Reef is protected now and for future generations to enjoy. Recently, the Chair of the Under Queensland law, Adani is required to prepare a World Heritage Committee commended Australia’s efforts Cultural Heritage Management Plan with the Wangan to protect the Great Barrier Reef and determined the reef and Jagalingou People, the Traditional Owner groups was not in danger. in the region. This process is separate to the Australian Government consideration of the project. The World Heritage Committee’s declaration was made when the previous decision to approve the mine was in operation and well understood. Strong compliance The Australian Government has worked with the and enforcement Queensland Government to develop the Reef 2050 Plan This approval does not end the Australian Government’s which forms the blueprint for the management and scrutiny of this project. Department of the Environment protection of the Reef for the next three and a half decades. compliance and enforcement officers will closely monitor It outlines measures the Australian and Queensland operation of the mine to ensure the conditions of approval governments are implementing to ensure that ports and are met. The Commonwealth Environment Minister can shipping along the Great Barrier Reef coast will not suspend or revoke the approval and strict penalties apply if adversely impact on the Great Barrier Reef. there is a breach of conditions (section 144 and 145 of the EPBC Act). Bans on offshore disposal of capital dredged material and strict shipping control measures are all part of the measures More on the Australian Government’s compliance and being implemented to manage coal ports and coal shipping. enforcement approach is available at www.environment.gov. au/ epbc/compliance-and-enforcement. To ensure there are no impacts from water leaving the mine, the Queensland Government has required measures to manage water quality and control sediment including The role of governments diversion drains, sediment fences, mine affected water storage dams, sediment ponds and sewage treatment. Different levels of government play different roles in making These will ensure that the mine does not impact on the decisions about projects. water quality of the reef. All decisions related to allocation of land for mining purposes and issuing mining tenements were made by the Engagement with the community Queensland Government. and Indigenous groups Primary decision making in relation to environmental matters also rests with the Queensland Government as Throughout the assessment, extensive consultation has been state governments have a broader role on a wider range of undertaken with government agencies, Indigenous groups, environmental and land use planning issues. landholders, environmental groups and the community. Public comment was sought during the environment impact The Carmichael Mine and Rail project was formally assessment and this feedback has informed the assessment declared a ‘significant project’ by the Queensland Bligh and the approval conditions. Government in November 2010. In May 2014, the Queensland Coordinator General recommended that the Carmichael Mine and Rail project be approved and proposed conditions for a broad range of environmental matters including air, waste, groundwater, noise, surface water, sewerage treatment, land rehabilitation,

environment.gov.au offsets, biodiversity, subsidence, dams, mining voids and levees.

Before the Carmichael Mine can proceed, the Queensland Government must issue a mining lease under the Mineral Resources Act 1989 and also issue an Environmental Authority under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 that contains all the operating conditions Adani Mining must abide by when carrying out the project.

In August 2014 the Queensland Coordinator General recommended that the mining lease and Environmental Authority be granted, and invited the submission of objections to the Land Court of Queensland. Objections were lodged with the Court, arguments have been heard, and the Court’s recommendations are expected in the near future.

If an Environmental Authority and mining lease are granted by the Queensland Government for the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail project, Queensland and Commonwealth compliance officers will work together to ensure that the strict conditions that have been put in place at both the state and federal level are implemented.

The role of the Australian Government is to make decisions on nationally protected matters, such as threatened species. The Australian Government does not choose which projects are referred for consideration. Each proposal that is referred is considered on its merits, under the strict requirements of national environment law.

Information on the Australian Government assessment and approval processes is available at: http://www.environment. gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_ detail&proposal_id=5736

Information on the Queensland Coordinator-General’s assessment can be found at http://statedevelopment.qld.gov. au/assessments-and-approvals/carmichael-coal-mine-and-r ail-project.html

© Commonwealth of Australia, 2015.

This fact sheet is licensed by Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment.

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