New metallurgical coal mine approved for development in Central QLD

A new metallurgical coal mine will soon begin development in Queensland as the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) grants a Mining Lease for Vitrinite’s Vulcan Mine Complex. 

The $160 million mine project is expected to create approximately 150 full-time jobs as well as provide a significant economic boost to the Isaac and Mackay regions. 

The Mining Lease will facilitate the first four years of the Vulcan Mine Complex, which has an estimated mine life of over 15 years. 

“During this four-year period, Vulcan will contribute an estimated $170 million in royalties to the Queensland budget which will be used to fund essential health, education and infrastructure projects. 

“On top of that, the project will contribute millions of dollars to the Queensland economy through taxes and the uptake of goods and services,” Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said. 

Prior to the grant of a Mining Lease, the project has undergone a rigorous regulatory assessment process that established its environmental credentials. 

“Queensland is widely regarded as having the strictest environmental regulations in the world, which our industry is fully committed to complying with, along with our determination to lower carbon emissions and implement sustainable mining practices. 

“The Vulcan Complex mine project is also the first resources project in Queensland to have its Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plan (PRCP) approved under the new legislation introduced in 2019. 

“This is the future of mining and ensures Queensland resources companies can continue to operate safely and sustainably with the support of their communities and government regulators,” Mr Macfarlane said. 

The PRCP will require mine operators to commit to progressively rehabilitating the land used for mining while operations are ongoing and then returning the land to its pre-mining use once the end of the mine life is reached. In the case of the Vulcan Mine Complex, the land should be returned to its low-intensity cattle grazing use. 

Project location (source: Vitrinite)

Vitrinite is a private, family-style business based in Queensland. According to the company’s Managing Director, Nick Williams, Vitrinite is grateful to be part of the mining community in Central Queensland, alongside larger companies. 

“We started off small, but what began as the dream of a few, young entrepreneurs has evolved to a stage where we’re creating at least 150 full-time jobs, which will lead to more indirect jobs, and can make significant contribution to the state economy. 

“We are a family business, and we want to continue how we’ve started, to create a company that supports family and makes people a keystone of every business function. 

“When planning the Vulcan mine, and everything we do, we also put a very large focus on minimising our environmental impact, to ensure we’ll leave this land better than we found it for future generations,” Mr Williams said. 

As part of the company’s commitment to minimising environmental impact, Vitrinite has implemented plans to reduce water usage and overburden movements as well as to utilise innovative technologies and conduct progressive rehabilitation beyond its statutory requirements. 

“While this is good policy for the environment, it also translates into goof business practices which will allow us to maximise the value of these resouces for all Australians,” Mr Williams said. 

The Vulcan Mine Complex is going to be an open cut mine located in the Bowen Basin, between Moranbah and Dysart, and is approximately 200 kilometres from the Hay Point Coal Terminal. 

Source: Queensland Resources Council; Australian Mining; Vitrinite (1, 2); Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly