Projects

Surat Basin Rail

Status
EIS active

The Surat Basin Rail project, sometimes referred to as the ‘Southern Missing Link’, is a proposal to construct approximately 210 kilometres of new railway to connect the Western Railway System (near Wandoan, 230 kilometres northwest of Toowoomba) with the Moura Railway System (near the community of Banana, located 130 kilometres west of Gladstone).

Surat Basin Rail Pty Ltd is the proponent for the project and acts on behalf of the Surat Basin Rail Joint Venture a consortium comprising ATEC (Dawson Valley Railway) Pty Ltd, QR Surat Basin Pty Ltd and Xstrata Coal Surat Basin Rail Pty Ltd. The consortium was formed specifically to investigate the economic feasibility of developing the railway.

This new $1 billion plus rail connection will see coal from the Surat Basin region transported for export through the proposed Wiggins Island Coal Terminal.

Construction of the project will require a workforce of approximately 1000 personnel over approximately two and a half years.

The exact position of the rail corridor will be refined during the environmental impact statement (EIS) process. A decision to proceed with the project is not expected before the end of 2009 and is subject to environmental and financial considerations.

Environmental impact statement process

On 26 November 2007 the Coordinator-General approved the declaration of the project as a ‘significant project for which an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required’ in accordance with Part 4 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (Qld). This declaration does not indicate support for, or approval of, the project by the Coordinator-General or the Queensland Government. Rather, it is a requirement for the project to undergo a rigorous EIS process.

The EIS process is being coordinated by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning on behalf of the Coordinator-General.

On 22 February 2008, the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts determined the project is not a controlled action and therefore does not require assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth).

The draft terms of reference (TOR) for the EIS were released for public and advisory agency comments on 12 April 2008 until 16 May 2008. Submissions on the draft TOR were considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the TOR. A total of 21 submissions on the draft TOR were received consisting of 5 from the public and 16 from advisory agencies. The TOR were finalised on 23 June 2008 and provided to the proponent.

The Coordinator-General determined that the EIS was substantially in accordance with the TOR and on 21 February 2009, released the EIS for public and advisory agency comment until 23 March 2009. A total of 36 submissions on the EIS were received by the Coordinator-General, consisting of 13 from the public, 4 from local organisations and 19 from advisory agencies.

The Coordinator-General is now considering submissions on the EIS and, if further information is required, Surat Basin Rail Pty Ltd will be requested to prepare a Supplementary EIS.

Resources

The proponent's initial advice statement and EIS are available through the following attached links:

Initial Advice Statement

Terms of Reference

Environmental Impact Statement

The complete environmental impact statement is available from the Surat Basin Rail website.

Further information

Further information on the project may be obtained via the Surat Basin Rail website or free call 1800 112 143.

For further information regarding the EIS process for the project, contact the Infrastructure and Economic Development Group and address your enquiry to the Surat Basin Rail Project.