Cape Flattery Silica Sand project

Project overview*

EIS status	EIS active
Description	Greenfield silica sand mine and processing plants producing up to 4 million tonnes per annum of run-of-mine silica sand for export, for up to 15 years.
Proponent	Cape Flattery Silica Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Metallica Minerals Limited
Location/s	42 km northeast of Hope Vale and 200 km north of Cairns. Map
Local government/s	Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council and Cook Shire Council
Investment	Up to $240 million
Key features	open cut silica sand mine mine infrastructure area two processing plants, product stockpile area and conveyors jetty and marine offloading infrastructure within the Port of Cape Flattery, for transport to ocean-going vessels
Construction start date	2025
Jobs	80 (construction) 80 (operational)

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Date	Activity
Currently	Draft terms of reference for EIS and comments being assessed.
3 June 2024 to 8 July 2024	Draft terms of reference ( 630.4 KB) for EIS public consultation.
15 December 2023	Gazettal ( 247 KB) of 'coordinated project' declaration.
23 November 2023	Application, including initial advice statement ( 18 MB) submitted.
16 January 2023	Australian Minister for the Environment and Water decided the project is a ‘controlled action’. A project that has the potential to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance is called a 'controlled action' and requires approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).