Metro Mining Appendix H2 - Metro Mining Community and … · 2018. 8. 9. · Mining), proposes to...

Metro MiningBauxite Hills Project

Environmental Impact Statement

Metro MiningChapter 3 - Climate

Environmental Impact Statement

Metro MiningAppendix H2 - Metro Mining Community andSocial Responsibility Policy

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Table of Contents

3 Climate ..................................................................................................................................................... 3-1

3.1 Project Overview .................................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Objectives and Performance Outcomes ....................................................................................... 3-1

3.2.1 Protection Objectives..................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.2 Performance Outcomes ................................................................................................................ 3-2

3.3 Assessment Method .............................................................................................................................. 3-2 3.4 Existing Environment .......................................................................................................................... 3-3

3.4.4 Evaporation ........................................................................................................................................ 3-5 3.4.6 Temperature Inversions .............................................................................................................. 3-8

3.5 Climate Extremes and Natural Hazards ....................................................................................... 3-9 3.5.1 Tropical Storms and Cyclones ................................................................................................... 3-9 3.5.2 Storm Surge .................................................................................................................................... 3-11 3.5.3 Floods ................................................................................................................................................ 3-12 3.5.4 Earthquakes .................................................................................................................................... 3-12 3.5.5 Bushfires .......................................................................................................................................... 3-13 3.5.6 Drought ............................................................................................................................................. 3-17 3.5.7 Coastal Erosion .............................................................................................................................. 3-17

3.6 Climate Change .................................................................................................................................... 3-20 3.6.1 Climate Change Adaptation Strategies ................................................................................ 3-21

3.7 Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................................... 3-22 3.7.1 Opportunities for Collaboration with Gulf Alumina ..................................................... 3-23

3.8 Management and Mitigation Measures ..................................................................................... 3-23 3.9 Qualitative Risk Assessment .......................................................................................................... 3-25 3.10 Summary................................................................................................................................................. 3-28 3.11 Commitments ....................................................................................................................................... 3-29 3.12 ToR Cross-reference .......................................................................................................................... 3-30

List of Figures

Figure 3-1 Average annual evaporation for Australia ...................................................................................... 3-5 Figure 3-2 Seasonal wind directions ................................................................................................................ 3-7 Figure 3-3 Recorded cyclone tacks within 100 km of the Project - 1970 to 2006 ......................................... 3-11 Figure 3-4 Australian bushfire threat ............................................................................................................. 3-13 Figure 3-5 Bushfire history mapping for 2000 - 2015 .................................................................................... 3-14 Figure 3-6 Bushfire frequency for 2000 -2015 ............................................................................................... 3-15 Figure 3-7 Bushfire hazard mapping .............................................................................................................. 3-16 Figure 3-8 Indicative erosion prone area ....................................................................................................... 3-19 Figure 3-9 Predicted temperature and rainfall change .................................................................................. 3-20 Figure 3-10 Predicted wind speed and sea temperature change .................................................................. 3-21

Bauxite Hills Project Climate

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List of Tables

Table 3-1 Relevant weather station data ......................................................................................................... 3-2 Table 3-2 Monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures .................................................................. 3-3 Table 3-3 Monthly mean rainfall ...................................................................................................................... 3-4 Table 3-4 Monthly mean relative humidity ..................................................................................................... 3-5 Table 3-5 Monthly mean wind speed .............................................................................................................. 3-6 Table 3-6 Frequency of occurrence (%) of surface atmospheric stability at the Project ................................. 3-8 Table 3-7 Tailwater components – storm tide condition ............................................................................... 3-11 Table 3-8 Qualitative risk assessment – climate ............................................................................................ 3-25 Table 3-9 Commitments – climate ................................................................................................................. 3-29 Table 3-10 ToR cross reference table ............................................................................................................ 3-30

3-1

3 Climate

This chapter outlines the regional climatic conditions within and surrounding the Bauxite Hills

Project (the Project) area and discusses potential impacts from climatic conditions, natural

disasters, natural hazards and climate change on the Project. It also sets out climate change

adaptation strategies, which are included as part of the Project design and meets Section 6.7 to 6.9

of the Terms of Reference (ToR) (see Table 3-10).

3.1 Project Overview

Aldoga Minerals Pty Ltd (Aldoga), a 100% owned subsidiary of Metro Mining Limited (Metro

Mining), proposes to develop the Project located on a greenfield site on the western coastline of

Cape York, Queensland, approximately 35 kilometres (km) northeast of Mapoon. The Project will

include an open cut operation, haul roads, Barge Loading Facility (BLF), Roll on/Roll off (RoRo)

facility, transhipping and will produce and transport up to 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ore

over approximately 12 years. The mine will not be operational during the wet season.

The Project is characterised by several shallow open cut pits that will be connected via internal haul

roads. The internal haul roads will be connected to a main north-south haul road that will link with

the Mine Infrastructure Area (MIA), BLF and RoRo facility located to the north of the pits on the

Skardon River. Bauxite will be screened in-pit and then hauled to the product stockpile using road

train trucks.

Bauxite from the Project is suitable as a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) product (i.e. ore is extracted and

loaded directly to ships with no washing or tailings dams required). Bauxite will be transported by

barge via the Skardon River to the transhipment site, approximately 12 km offshore, and loaded into

ocean going vessels (OGVs) and shipped to customers. No dredging or bed-levelling for transhipping

is proposed as part of this Project.

OGVs of between 50,000 to 120,000 tonne (t) each will be loaded at the transhipment anchorage

site. Vessels will be loaded and bauxite will be transported to OGVs 24 hours per day with barges

having an initial capacity of approximately 3,000 t to meet early production volumes, increasing up

to 7,000 t as the Project reaches a maximum production volume of 5 Mtpa.

The construction of the mine is due to commence in April 2017 and is expected to take seven months

to complete. The first shipment of bauxite is planned for October 2017. The Project will be 100%

fly-in fly-out (FIFO) due to its remote location. The Project will operate over two 12 hour shifts per

day for approximately eight months of the year and is expected to employ up to 254 employees

during peak operations. In addition to the workforce, it is expected that the Project will result in the

employment of additional workers through local and regional businesses servicing the

accommodation camp and the construction and operation of the mine.

3.2 Objectives and Performance Outcomes

3.2.1 Protection Objectives

The objective of this section is to describe the existing climate of the Project area and to identify any

risk to the Project from natural or induced climatic hazards or impacts of climate change in the

region, and determine appropriate management and mitigation measures to ensure the safety of


3-2

Project employees, contractors, visitors and minimise any impact on the existing environmental

values (EVs).

3.2.2 Performance Outcomes

The performance criteria for climate and climate change are:

Infrastructure will be constructed to the appropriate standards and mine design will be resilient

to natural or induced climate hazards or climate change;

Operations will be conducted to protect the health and safety of employees, contractors and

visitors, and minimise any impact on the existing EVs; and

Management and mitigation strategies will reduce the risk of potential impacts from natural or

induced climatic hazards and climate change to an acceptable level.

3.3 Assessment Method

The methodology involved reviewing relevant climate data to develop an understanding of the

existing climatic conditions and natural and induced hazards influencing or having potential to

influence the Project area. Following this, natural hazards and climate change impacts were applied

to Project components and features to understand potential impacts to the Project.

Information on the existing climatic conditions were obtained from a desktop study of the Bureau

of Meteorology’s (BoM) online data. Data from weather stations at Old Mapoon and Weipa Eastern

Ave and Weipa Airport were used to provide a regional context. Local meteorological data has been

acquired from a temporary weather station located at Pisolite Hills (approximately 23 km south

from the Project). The recently installed weather station for the Project located at the Skardon River

Bauxite Project (SRBP) airstrip has experienced intermittent operation, and was not able to provide

reliable information. Two pluviometers have been installed by the SRBP, with information provided

as part of a shared-data agreement; however, there is not sufficient data available at this stage to

establish site rainfall averages.

The data obtained from these weather stations, predominantly from Old Mapoon, Weipa and Pisolite

Hills, has been used collectively to describe the historical climatic patterns within the vicinity of the

Project. Historical data is presented as an indicative guide to future climatic trends, cycles and

extremes.

The location of all meteorological data collection points are shown in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1 Relevant weather station data

Weather Station Commenced Operation Status of Operation Comments

Old Mapoon 1893 Closed in 2000 Nearest BoM long-term weather station. No longer in Operation

Weipa Eastern Ave and Weipa Airport

1914 In operation

Weipa Airport data has been added to Weipa Eastern Ave data, where Weipa Eastern Ave data is unavailable

Pisolite Hills 2008 Removed in 2014 Nearest privately owned weather station

Bauxite Hills 2014 Intermittent

operation Onsite weather station but limited data available

Pluviometer 1 and 2 2014 In operation Skardon Bauxite Mine rain gauges


3-3

Information was also obtained using the Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) assessment (Vipac,

2016). This includes background information on temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction,

atmospheric stability and mixing height. A prognostic air pollution model TAPM (developed by

CSIRO, version 4.0.4) and a diagnostic meteorological model CALMET (developed by EarthTec,

version 6.327) were used to generate the three-dimensional meteorological dataset for the region.

The Air Quality and GHG Technical Report has been included in the Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) as Appendix F.

When conducting the desktop climate change impact assessment for the Project, climate change

projections are based on the following sources:

Climate Change in Queensland, What the Science is Telling Us (Queensland Government, 2010);

The Critical Decade: Queensland Climate Impacts and Opportunities (Steffen et al., 2012);

Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (IPCC, 2014);

Climate Change in Australia: Projections for Australia’s NRM Regions (CSIRO, 2015); and

State of the Climate 2014 (CSIRO, 2014).

3.4 Existing Environment

The Project lies within the Australian Monsoon Zone and has a Climate Classification of Equatorial

– Tropical Savannah using the BoM modified Koppen classification system (BoM, 2014a).

The area typically experiences warm wet summers and warm dry winters. The summer wet season

is relatively short, lasting from approximately December to March, and occurs with the change in

the prevailing southeast trade winds to the northwest monsoons. Approximately 95% of the

region's rainfall occurs between November and April.

A significant influence on the year-to-year weather variability is exerted by the El Nino Southern

Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, an eastern Pacific system of atmospheric and oceanic interactions

which affects the weather worldwide and can result in large variations in the timing and amount of

wet season rainfall on Cape York.

3.4.1 Temperature

Temperature data for Old Mapoon, Weipa and the Pisolite Hills project area are presented in (Table

3-2). The local monthly mean minimum and maximum temperatures indicate that the hottest

months of the year for the Project are typically October, November and December, ranging from 34

to 36.1 degrees Celsius (oC). The coolest months of the year across all weather stations are July and

August, with monthly mean minimum temperatures ranging from 17.5oC to 18.9oC.

Table 3-2 Monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures

Month

Old Mapoon Weipa Eastern Ave Pisolite Hills

Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

January 22.5 32.7 24 31.9 23.4 32.4

February 22.5 33 24 31.4 23.6 33.1

March 22.2 33 23.6 31.7 23.3 33.1


3-4

Month


Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Minimum

Temperature

(C)

Mean Maximum

Temperature

(C)

April 21.9 32.8 22.5 32 22.8 33.1

May 20.5 31.4 21.3 31.6 19.9 32.1

June 18.8 30.4 19.5 30.6 18.7 31.5

July 18.1 30.3 18.9 30.4 18.4 30.9

August 18.1 30.6 18.8 31.6 17.5 32.3

September 19.2 32.4 20 33.3 19.6 33.6

October 20.7 34 21.4 34.8 21.6 35.6

November 21.7 35 23.2 34.7 22.2 36.1

December 22.5 34.7 23.9 33.3 23.2 35

Note: data for Pisolite Hills were obtained via the Project weather station between December 2008 and January 2013

3.4.2 Rainfall

Rainfall data for Old Mapoon, Weipa and the Pisolite Hills project area are presented in Table 3-3.

The mean annual rainfall within the broader Project area ranges between 1,640 mm at Old Mapoon

to 1,768 mm at Weipa. December to March is generally accepted as the monsoon period, with rainfall

during this time accounting for over 80% of the Project’s total yearly rainfall. The Project can

typically experience 90 days of precipitation per annum. The driest period is between June and

August where mean rainfall is less than 2 mm for these months.

Table 3-3 Monthly mean rainfall

Month Mean Rainfall (mm)


January 421.1 448.8 425.3

February 411.2 444.9 361.8

March 308.4 347.4 337.8

April 94.8 108.1 136.6

May 18.7 16.8 9.2

June 4.2 4.3 1.5

July 2.7 1.7 3.7

August 1.1 2.8 23.3

September 4.0 5.6 8.3

October 11.1 25.2 40.2

November 63.8 103.0 106.5

December 228.9 259.6 286.1

Total 1,640.0 1,768.8 1,740.1

Note: data for Pisolite Hills were obtained via the Project weather station between December 2008 and January 2013

3.4.3 Relative Humidity

Relative humidity data for Weipa and the Pisolite Hills project area are presented in Table 3-4.

Relative humidity at broader Project area typically peaks in February before reducing each month

until September/October. Relative humidity at 9 am is consistently reported higher than that at 3

pm. No humidity data is available for the Old Mapoon weather station.


3-5

Table 3-4 Monthly mean relative humidity

Month Weipa Eastern Ave Pisolite Hills

Relative Humidity at 9am (%)

Relative Humidity at 3pm (%)

Relative Humidity (Minimum)

Relative Humidity (Maximum)

January 85 75 63.7 98.8

February 87 78 61.5 99.0

March 84 73 60.0 98.9

April 80 62 54.7 97.4

May 78 57 52.1 97.6

June 77 53 50.0 96.7

July 76 51 52.0 95.8

August 73 46 41.6 96.0

September 68 44 40.5 94.1

October 60 46 37.2 94.8

November 70 53 38.0 95.6

December 78 65 48.6 97.8

Annual 77 59 50.01 96.85

Note: data for Pisolite Hills was obtained via the Project weather station between December 2008 and January 2013

and recorded only minimum and maximum values.

3.4.4 Evaporation

The average annual evaporation rate is described as moderate at 2,000 mm to 2,400 mm per year

(see Figure 3-1). This is based on at least 10 years of BoM records from 1975 to 2005. Total

evaporation is considerably higher than average annual rainfall for Old Mapoon and Weipa.

Source: BoM 2012a

Figure 3-1 Average annual evaporation for Australia


3-6

3.4.5 Wind

Wind data for the Weipa Eastern Ave weather station is presented at Table 3-5.

Table 3-5 Monthly mean wind speed

Month

Weipa Eastern Ave

Mean Wind Speed at 9am (km/h)

Mean Wind Speed at 3pm (km/h)

January 4.4 8.4

February 3.9 8.6

March 5.2 7.9

April 7.6 8.7

May 8.6 10.1

June 8.3 10.1

July 8.1 11

August 8.4 11.3

September 9.8 11.8

October 9.1 11.1

November 6.4 10

December 4.5 8.3

Annual 7 9.8

Weipa recorded its windiest month in September. The calmest month has been recorded as January

at 9 am. Measured monthly mean wind speeds range from 4.4 to 11.8 km per hour (km/h). No wind

data are available for Old Mapoon or Pisolite Hills.

Wind roses demonstrate the annual mean wind direction at Weipa Eastern Ave weather station is

predominantly from the southeast (Figure 3-2). Seasonally, winds tend from northwest to southeast

and rarely blow from the north or south direction.

High winds occurring as a result of cyclones can cause structural damage and present a safety risk

from flying debris. Rehabilitation is at risk of damage from high winds, including defoliation and

wind-throw of trees. Species adapted to the local climate will be utilised in rehabilitation to

maximise the ability of revegetated areas to withstand these types of storms and regenerate quickly.

All plant and infrastructure facilities, including the camp accommodation, will be designed and

constructed to the relevant Australian Standards to reduce the risk of structural damage caused by

high wind speeds, some of which are listed below:

Australian Building Codes Board (2010) “Building Code of Australia (BCA)” ed., ABCB, Canberra,

ACT;

Standards-Australia (2002a) “AS/NZS1170.0:2002 Structural design actions: General

principles”, Standards Australia, Sydney, NSW;

Standards-Australia (2002b) “AS/NZS 1170.2:2002 Structural design actions: Wind actions”,

AS/NZS 1170.2:2002, Standards Australia, Sydney NSW, Australia;

Standards-Australia (2006) “AS 4055 Wind Loads for Housing”, Standards Australia, Sydney,

NSW; and

Standards Australia (2010) “AS 1684.3:2010 Residential timber-framed construction – Cyclonic

areas”, Standards Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Following Cyclone Yasi in 2011, the Queensland Department of Infrastructure, Local Government

and Planning also prepared “Planning for a stronger, more resilient North Queensland – Guideline

2 Wind Resistant Housing”, which has been referenced in the design and construction process.

SKARDON

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DISCLAIMERCDM Smith has endeavoured to ensure accuracy

and completeness of the data. CDM Smith assumes no legal liability or responsibility for any decisions or actions resulting from the information contained

within this map.

GCS GDA 1994 MGA Zone 54

/0 2,500 5,0001,250

Metres

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Figure 3-2

Seasonal wind direction

©COPYRIGHT CDM SMITHThis drawing is confidential and shall only be used

for the purpose of this project.

APPROVED

DRAWN

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CHECKED

Legend

Town

Watercourse

Barge Loading Area

Accommodation Camp

Haul Road

Pit Extents

Mine Lease Area

DATA SOURCEMEC Mining; 1sSRTM v1.0 Geoscience Australia 2011;

QLD Government Open Source Data;Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric

(Geofabric) PRODUCT SUITE V2.1.1 DRG Ref: BES150115-035-R1_WIND

DESIGNER CLIENT

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Updated Pit Extents

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Haul Road

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3.4.6 Temperature Inversions

A temperature inversion is a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere

(the region of the atmosphere nearest the Earth’s surface), in which a layer of warmer air overlays

a layer of cool air at the surface (under normal conditions air temperature usually decreases with

height). Low-level inversions occur at night at the earth’s surface due to cooling of the ground layer

and are most prevalent on clear, calm nights. The lack of convective mixing within the lower-level

inversion layer means that lower-level pollution can be trapped within the inversion layer, resulting

in high pollution levels. This phenomenon is much more pronounced over land than it is over water

due to the longer retention of heat in water. In most cases, these inversions act like a lid to trap

pollutants resulting in smog over cities (BoM, 2012b).

Temperature inversions also have the potential to affect how sound travels and the distance sound

travels. The influence of temperature inversion can often cause distant sources of noise to sound

closer than they are.

The Pasquill-Gifford stability categories are used to classify atmospheric stability and ranges from

Category A, which represents very unstable atmospheric conditions that may typically occur on a

sunny day with light winds through to Category F, which represents very stable atmospheric

conditions that typically occur at clear nights with light wind condition. Unstable conditions

(Category A to C) are associated with strong solar heating of the ground layer that induces

turbulence close to the ground which is the main driver of dispersion during these conditions.

Neutral conditions (Category D) are dominated by ground layer turbulence which is generated when

wind passes over ground layer irregularities such as topographical features and buildings.

Atmospheric conditions are neutral or stable at night (Category D, E and F).

The percentage of stability classes at the Bauxite Hills mine was predicted using TAPM/CALMET for

the period of January to December 2013. As indicated in Table 3-6, Category F was the most

frequently occurring stability category.

Table 3-6 Frequency of occurrence (%) of surface atmospheric stability at the Project

Pasquil-Gifford stability category Classification Frequency (%)

A Extremely unstable

B Unstable

C Slightly unstable

D Neutral 38.1

E Slightly stable 15.4

F Stable 46.5

The potential for temperature inversions to occur within the Project area would be highest during

the summer months when temperature and solar exposure levels are at their highest. Issues

associated with temperature inversions can potentially include dust particulates and pollutants

being trapped close to the ground which may cause temporary increases in air pollution levels.

Temperature inversion potentials were incorporated into air quality and noise impact modelling for

the Project, and as such, any associated increase in potential impacts from the Project activities in

these conditions has been assessed.


3-9

3.5 Climate Extremes and Natural Hazards

3.5.1 Tropical Storms and Cyclones

Tropical storms and cyclones are usually defined by strong winds and high intensity rainfall events.

Understanding historical frequencies can help the community and industry better prepare for such

events. The Project experiences approximately 50 days of lightning strikes associated with tropical

storms per annum (BoM, 2010a).

Cyclones have potential to affect the Project area during the wet season, typically between

December and April. As such, these events have been assessed to determine their frequency,

severity and the potential impacts they may have on the Project.

The severity of a tropical cyclone is described by the BoM in terms of categories ranging from one

to five related to the zone of maximum winds. The BoM categories are described below.

Category 1 (tropical cyclone): Negligible house damage. Damage to some crops, trees and

caravans. Craft may drag moorings. The strongest winds are GALES with typical gusts over open

flat land of 90 to 125 km/h. These winds correspond to Beaufort 8 and 9 (gales and strong

gales);

Category 2 (tropical cyclone): Minor house damage. Significant damage to signs, trees and

caravans. Heavy damage to some crops. Risk of power failure. Small craft may break moorings.

The strongest winds are DESTRUCTIVE winds with typical gusts over open flat land of 125 to

164 km/h. These winds correspond to Beaufort 10 and 11 (storm and violent storm);

Category 3 (severe tropical cyclone): Some roof and structural damage. Some caravans

destroyed. Power failures likely. The strongest winds are VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with

typical gusts over open flat land of 165 to 224 km/h. These winds correspond to the highest

category on the Beaufort scale, Beaufort 12 (hurricane);

Category 4 (severe tropical cyclone): Significant roofing loss and structural damage. Many

caravans destroyed and blown away. Dangerous airborne debris. Widespread power failures.

The strongest winds are VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with typical gusts over open flat land of

225 to 279 km/h. These winds correspond to the highest category on the Beaufort scale,

Beaufort 12 (hurricane); and

Category 5 (severe tropical cyclone): Extremely dangerous with widespread destruction. The

strongest winds are VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with typical gusts over open flat land of more

than 280 km/h. These winds correspond to the highest category on the Beaufort scale, Beaufort

12 (hurricane).

Typically, Queensland is affected by an average of 4.7 tropical cyclones per year with an average of

approximately 0.6 cyclones affect the Project annually (BoM, 2014b). The frequency of cyclones in

Queensland is significantly impacted by the ENSO phenomenon. During La Niña years, a doubling of

cyclonic events may occur (BoM, 2014b).

The BoM identified 15 cyclones that have passed within 100 km of the Project between 1970 and

2006. The recorded cyclone tracks are presented in Figure 3-3. Only three of these cyclones have

reached Category 4. There have been no Category 5 cyclones in the region.


3-10

Tropical storms and cyclones present a number of risks to the Project including:

Health and safety of employees and the community from storm surge, flooding and wind-blown

debris;

Damage to port, ferry and barge infrastructure from storm surge and waves;

Damage to other infrastructure from wind and flooding; and

Damage to revegetation from wind and heavy rain.

Considering the Project activities will occur during the dry season, the impacts associated with

tropical cyclones and storms causing physical harm to site personnel are significantly minimised by

only having a skeleton crew over the wet season period. In the event that a cyclone is experienced

either during the operational period when fully staffed or during the wet season stand down period

when there is only a caretaker workforce present, Metro Mining will develop contingency plans that

are consistent with existing emergency procedures established for the broader Weipa area and in

consultation with all relevant emergency service providers. Such contingency planning could

include:

Develop the Site Emergency Response Plan in consultation with relevant emergency service

providers and existing regional response plans;

Coordinate with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) Extreme Weather Event

Contingency Plan – Weipa 2014 and Rio Tinto Alcan’s Weipa Cyclone Control Centre; and

Linking in to the existing warning systems established through the BoM, government agencies

and the Cyclone Control Centre.

In the event a cyclone does impact the Project, Metro Mining will assess any damage caused by the

cyclone once it has passed, and resources will be allocated accordingly to repair any damage that

may have occurred.


3-11

Source: BoM, 2015

Figure 3-3 Recorded cyclone tacks within 100 km of the Project - 1970 to 2006

3.5.2 Storm Surge

There is limited storm surge data available for the Skardon River. A detailed storm tide assessment

has been carried out at Weipa by WorleyParsons (2008) which can be used to provide an indication

of likely storm tide conditions for the Skardon River.

The weather system that is most likely to create large scale flooding in the catchment is a tropical

cyclone. In addition to the precipitation produced by a cyclone, the high wind speeds and large fetch

lengths can create a significant increase in water level – referred to as a storm surge – in addition to

the prevailing tidal condition. The high tailwater condition is therefore based on a large tide

occurring coincidentally with a storm surge, and applied as a fixed level to the ocean boundary.

The nearest available tidal plane data is from Weipa, which records a value of 2.15 m Australian

Height Datum (AHD) for the highest astronomical tide. With regards to the storm surge component,

CDM Smith has adopted the same value (0.55 m) as WorleyParsons in their flood study of the

adjacent Ducie River catchment carried out for Cape Alumina as part of the Pisolite Hills project.

Given that this data is derived from values recorded at Weipa, and that no other nearby records of

storm surge are available, it is considered appropriate to adopt the same value for this study. The

resulting components of storm tide are outlined in Table 3-7.

Table 3-7 Tailwater components – storm tide condition

Tailwater Components Level

Highest Astronomical Tide 1.60 mAHD

Storm Surge 0.55 m

Storm Tide 2.15 mAHD


3-12

The risks to construction, operation and rehabilitation of the Project, as a result of storm surge, are

likely to be low. Modelling of various scenarios has demonstrated that even under extreme rainfall

events coupled with the above assumption of tail water levels there was no risk of flooding of the

pits, although some intermittent flooding of sections of the main haul road may occur. Riverside

infrastructure will be designed to accommodate modelled storm surge. Further discussion

regarding flooding is provided in Chapter 11 - Flooding and Regulated Structures and Appendix E2

– Surface Water Technical Report.

3.5.3 Floods

The climate at the Project location is classified as Equatorial, with a period of very low rainfall during

winter and spring followed by heavy monsoonal rains during summer and early autumn. Given that

over 80% of the region’s annual rainfall occurs during the monsoonal wet season (December to

March), flooding in the Skardon River and its tributaries is most likely to occur during this time.

Monsoonal climates can exhibit large year-to-year variations in rainfall, and a major rainfall season

(e.g. greater than 2,000 mm per annum) may occur once every one to five years in the vicinity of the

Project. The frequency of high rainfall and flooding can also be influenced by the presence or

absence of cyclones within the region, as the predominant mechanism for river flooding is the

coincident combination of heavy rainfall and elevated ocean levels (i.e. storm tides) that is primarily

associated with tropical cyclone systems.

Flood modelling of the Skardon River was carried out for a range of scenarios up to the Probable

Maximum Flood (PMF), with simulation results indicating that the extent of inundation is generally

confined within the river waterways with no significant floodplain. At locations nearer port

infrastructure, flood levels are greatly influenced by the tidal levels and associated storm surge.

With regard to elevation, the bauxite resource and the majority of the Project’s infrastructure

(accommodation camp, MIA, material handling conveyors) and operations are located on a plateau

that rises approximately 8 m to 15 m above the waterways, with modelling showing the mine area

is predominantly above even the PMF levels, with only a few limited areas (e.g. haul road crossings

to access mining areas), potentially affected by riverine flooding.

The BLF mooring infrastructure and the RoRo located on the banks of Skardon River are not as

elevated as the main mine area and will be potentially susceptible to inundation by riverine flooding,

elevated water levels due to storm tides, and the possible combination of both events. However,

these infrastructure are not considered to pose an environmental threat by being inundated and

will be designed to accommodate periodic inundation. The BLF will be designed to rise and fall with

the Skardon River water levels.

As the mine will not be operational during the wet season, site personnel are unlikely to be affected

by the impacts of flooding, except for the small caretaker crew that will be maintained for

maintenance and monitoring purposes who will operate in accordance with specific safety plans.

Flood modelling, the potential impacts of flooding, and proposed mitigation strategies are described

in Chapter 11 – Flooding and Regulated Structures and Appendix E2.

3.5.4 Earthquakes

Geoscience Australia defines significant earthquakes as all earthquakes above 3.5 on the Richter

scale. A review of the data provided by Geoscience Australia (Geoscience Australia 2015) since 1955

found records of no earthquakes near to the Project area. The nearest recorded earthquakes

occurred on the east coast of Cape York to the north of Coen and east of Gallon Reef in the Coral Sea.

As no earthquakes have been recorded in the Project area over the previous 60 years, and


3-13

considering a general absence of earthquakes occurring at Cape York, the risk of earthquakes

impacting the Project is assessed to be low.

3.5.5 Bushfires

The peak fire season for the Project is during winter and spring (dry season) when rainfall is at its

lowest (see Figure 3-4) (BoM, 2010b). During this period of time, vegetation and leaf-litter can dry

out and become fuel for bushfires. The Project is predominately surrounded by Darwin Stringybark

(Eucalyptus tetradonta) woodland, which can become extremely dry and moisture-deprived during

peak fire season.

Figure 3-4 Australian bushfire threat

Natural and anthropogenic-related bushfires are regular occurrences within the vicinity of the

Project, commonly from lightning strikes and through annual back-burning and traditional

Indigenous burning.

In recent decades the frequency of fire in the Cape York Peninsula bioregion has been relatively high

and between approximately 13% and 33% of the region is burnt each year (Bastin and ACRIS, 2008).

The majority of these fires on Cape York Peninsula are grass fires (Crowley, 1995). The fire history

for Cape York between the years 2000 and 2015 and the fire frequency between 2000 and 2015 are

shown at Figure 3-5 and Figure 3-6 respectively.

Based on the Bushfire Risk Analysis for the Cook Shire and presented in the State Planning Policy

online mapping, the Project is located in a bushfire hazard area of medium potential threat (Figure

3-7) (DSDIP, 2015). A bushfire hazard area identifies land that is likely to support a significant

bushfire and could be subject to impacts from a significant bushfire. This mapping analyses potential

fire weather severity, landscape slope and potential fuel load to determine the risk level (Rural Fire

Service, 2014). Appropriate fire management strategies will be developed to mitigate bushfire

hazard risks.

MAPOON

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DISCLAIMER

CDM Smith has endeavoured to ensure accuracy and completeness of the data. CDM Smith assumes

no legal liability or responsibility for any decisions

or actions resulting from the information contained

within this map.

GCS GDA 1994 Zone 54

/0 5,000 10,0002,500

MetrEs

DESIGNED

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MD

©COPYRIGHT CDM SMITH

This drawing is confidential and shall only be

used for the purpose of this project.

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Year Since Last Burnt 2000-2015

Northern Australia Fire Information

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MAPOON

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DISCLAIMER

CDM Smith has endeavoured to ensure accuracy and completeness of the data. CDM Smith assumes

no legal liability or responsibility for any decisions

or actions resulting from the information contained

within this map.

GCS GDA 1994 Zone 54

/0 5,000 10,0002,500

MetrEs

15900000

DESIGNED

Details

MD

©COPYRIGHT CDM SMITH

This drawing is confidential and shall only be

used for the purpose of this project.

Legend

Town

Barge Loading Area

Pit Extents

Haul Road

Mine Lease Boundary

Number of Years Burnt (2000-201 )

Northern Australia Fire Information

0-2

3-5

6-8

9-11

12-16

DATA SOURCE

Northern Australia Fire Information, 2016;QLD Government Open Data Source;

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology

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DESIGNER

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Barge Loading Area

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BH6 West MLA boundary

(MLA 20689)

BH1 MLA boundary(MLA 20676)

BH6 East MLA boundary

(MLA 20688)

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Bushfire hazard mapping



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Metro Mining Mine Lease Area

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Potential Impact Buffer

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3-17

Currently, the Cape York Fire Program (CYFP) and the Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers provide fire

management and coordination between land holders, the community, industry and all levels of

government.

Cape York Sustainable Futures (CYSF) has a ten year fire history database, which is used to establish

the relationship between fire management and biodiversity along with other land management

outcomes. CYSF provide satellite fire tracking and mapping services, promoting best practice fire

management in Cape York. The CYFP has improved coordination and cooperation between

stakeholders across all land tenures by developing a sound base for sustainable fire management

strategies and practices.

With the assistance of the Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers, Metro Mining is working to develop a

coordinated Fire Management Plan (FMP) incorporating:

Fire breaks and containment lines around all site areas;

Buildings being be fitted with appropriate firefighting equipment and facilities; and

Appropriate bushfire mitigation and management measures will be employed at the Project.

3.5.6 Drought

The Project site has never recorded less than 1,000 mm annual rainfall, with the average annual

rainfall since 1914 to date calculated as 1,784 mm. The definition of drought for this area is therefore

a matter of scale (i.e. a succession of below average rainfall years), rather than a complete lack of

rainfall that may more typically be associated with drought conditions. The last succession of <1,784

mm annual rainfall years was between 2005 and 2009, with annual rainfall still averaging around

1,600 mm.

The potential effects that drought conditions may have upon the Project operations, including

rehabilitation, have been considered by Metro Mining. In particular, an established and reliable

source of water is crucial for the stability of Project operations. Raw water supply options have been

considered, with the primary supply proposed to be an allocation from the Great Artesian Basin

(GAB), supported by a potable water supply from the local shallow groundwater aquifer. Rain water

storage tanks will also be utilised where possible to maximise the use of the heavy rainfall that

occurs during the wet season. Storage of surface water runoff and water collection from the nearby

Skardon River or associated waterways remains a fall-back option, with the final ratio of water

supply sources to be determined depending on wet season conditions.

3.5.7 Coastal Erosion

The site is located in a coastal area and the Skardon River area is mapped within an “indicative”

erosion prone area, (Figure 3-8) declared under the Coastal Protection and Management Act. 1995.

Coastal erosion and storm tide inundation are naturally occurring coastal processes that are

referred to as coastal hazards as they have the potential to impact on public safety and development

along the coast.

Coastal hazard areas consist of areas at risk from sea erosion or permanent inundation from tidal

water and areas of temporary inundation resulting from a defined storm tide event. The

implications of projected sea level rise and an increase in cyclone intensity for Queensland’s coast

include a progressive worsening of coastal hazards (EHP, 2013).


3-18

The potential for coastal erosion has been minimised through the positioning and design of the

infrastructure, particularly by maintaining the surrounding mangroves where ever possible to

buffer erosive water movements and minimise potential erosion surfaces associated with the

Project. Similarly vessel speeds will be reduced in areas where an absence of shoreline vegetation

such as mangroves may see a rise in shoreline erosion associated with vessel generated waves.

The potential for storm tide inundation is not considered a risk for the majority of infrastructure

that is located on the plateau (e.g. the MIA, mining pits and accommodation camp), as these are

located outside even the PMF flood modelling footprint. Any infrastructure (e.g. the RoRo, BLF and

minor sections of haul roads that cross waterways), that have been identified through flood

modelling, are all being designed to allow for periodic inundation.

BH6 West MLA boundary

(MLA 20689)

BH1 MLA boundary(MLA 20676)

BH6 East MLA boundary

(MLA 20688)

SKARDON RIVER

NAMALETA CREEKNAMALETA CREEK

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Haul Road

Pit Extents

Accommodation Camp

Metro Mining Mine Lease Area

DATA SOURCEMEC Mining;


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3-20

3.6 Climate Change

The following section presents the climate change impact assessment for the Project.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) technical definition of climate change is:

‘any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity’

(IPCC 2014). As a result of climate change, temperatures are predicted to rise and climate extremes

are predicted to amplify.

The preparedness of the Project for climate change depends on adaptation planning for a range of

effects including severe droughts, heatwaves and intense rainfall.

The Commonwealth Department of the Environment (DotE) has worked with local and

international agencies to estimate predicted changes to the Australian climate and environment

resulting from climate change, with the CSIRO and BoM also producing the State of the Climate 2012

report. Climate change predicted to the summer of 2030, including the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile

estimates are shown in Figure 3-9 and Figure 3-101, respectively. The 50th percentile is considered

the best estimate and is the one that will be utilised by Metro Mining for Project planning purposes.

The Low Emissions, Medium Emissions and High Emissions scenarios are based upon Emissions

scenarios from the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (IPCC, 2000).

Figure 3-9 Predicted temperature and rainfall change

1 Projections are given relative to the period 1980-1999 (referred to as the 1990 baseline for convenience). The projections

give an estimate of the average climate around 2030, 2050 and 2070, taking into account consistency among climate models. Individual years will show variation from this average. The 50th percentile (the mid-point of the spread of model results) provides a best estimate result. The 10th and 90th percentiles (lowest 10% and highest 10% of the spread of model results) provide a range of uncertainty. Emissions scenarios are from the IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios. Low emissions is the B1 scenario, medium is A1B and high is A1FI.


3-21

Figure 3-10 Predicted wind speed and sea temperature change

From the figures above, the 50th percentile expected change for the Project area based on medium

emissions are:

Temperature change of 0.6oC to 1.0oC;

Rainfall change of between +/- 2%;

Wind speed change of between +/- 2%; and

Sea temperature change of 0.6oC to 1.0oC.

The expected lifetime of the Project is approximately 12 years, from 2017 to 2028. Given the

relatively short timeframe of the Project, the potential changes to rainfall, temperature and winds,

as a result of climate change, are expected to be negligible. In addition, as Metro Mining does not

propose to operate during the wet season, when any changes related to any increased rainfall, wind

speed, storm surge and tropical storm probabilities could be expected to impact the Project, the

specific risk of climate change in relation to safety of personnel at the Project is considered low.

Metro Mining does not foresee climate change as having a discernible impact on the Project in the

short term and does not propose to make any specific changes to the Project planning or operations

as a result of predicted climate changes.

3.6.1 Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

Metro Mining will not be required to report under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting

Act 2007 (NGER Act) as the Project will not emit more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2-e per year. The

estimated Project GHG emissions, during the operational phase, is approximately 293 tonnes of CO2-

e per year.


3-22

Climate change is anticipated to bring more extreme weather events, prolonged droughts, more

significant floods and higher frequencies of storms. These are implications when preparing climate

change strategies for the Project. An example of this can be observed when combatting the effects

of drought and the increase in extreme weather events as a result of climate change. Ensuring that

the Project has enough water for its needs through using dams and other types of storage during

drought conditions can have potential implications in the event of flooding and extreme rainfall

events. Having the maximum capacity of water stored onsite at all times can increase the risk to the

site and to communities, businesses, landholders and the environment downstream when drought

turns to flooding from an increase in extreme weather events and storms (Queensland Floods

Commission of Inquiry (QFCI), 2012). To avoid these issues, the Project proposes to utilise GAB

water for the majority of its operational water use, meaning water will only be pumped as required,

and minimal water storages (i.e. water tanks) will be required for the operations.

Other adaptation strategies that will be adopted include:

Comply with applicable regulatory requirements and monitor relevant regulations for changes;

Identify, assess and monitor current and changing environmental impacts;

Involve contractors and service providers where necessary;

Implement appropriate environmental management programs and controls; and

Track actual environmental performance.

Metro Mining are committed to undertaking a cooperative approach with government and other

industry sectors to address the Project’s adaptation to climate change.

Potential impacts and mitigation measures related to climate change have been included Table 3-8.

3.7 Cumulative Impacts

Given the remote location and the short duration of the Project and the proposed adjacent SRBP,

cumulative impacts associated with natural hazards are not anticipated to adversely affect EVs. The

various management plans incorporated into the Environmental Management Plan for the Project

(see Appendix K) will serve to significantly reduce the potential consequential impacts occurring

during natural hazard events. Management plans will be periodically updated, expanded or reduced

as required throughout the life of the Project as the potential consequences change between

preconstruction, construction and operation and in response to future refinements in predictions.

Therefore, cumulative impacts are considered to be low and have not been considered further.

Similar to the impact to climate from the Projects, potential changes in climate are not expected to

impact either project in a cumulative sense. Predicted changes in temperature, precipitation,

humidity, sea level, storm surge and tides, cyclones and bushfires have been considered, and the

vulnerabilities of the Projects have been assessed.

Potential consequences of climate change that have been considered include:

Flooding from intense rainfall;

Exposure to higher temperatures;

Damage from cyclonic conditions and associated wave inundation;


3-23

Erosion; and

Damage from bushfires.

It was concluded from the cumulative assessment that there is unlikely to be an impact to climate

from both projects, and that there is unlikely to be an impact from climate change to both projects.

3.7.1 Opportunities for Collaboration with Gulf Alumina

The close proximity of the Project to the SRBP presents opportunities for collaboration between

both parties to minimise the risk of harm to EVs. Opportunities to work collaboratively include:

The preparation and implementation of a FMP that incorporates both projects and establishes

fire management planning and procedures that minimise the potential impacts that unplanned

fires pose to human health and safety, and the preservation of infrastructure;

The preparation and implementation of emergency response procedures (i.e. evacuation by

barge procedures) the cover both projects and are focussed on efficient management of human

safety and health during emergency responses to risks associated with natural hazards; and

The preparation and implementation of erosion control measures that incorporate design

requirements of both projects, such that management measures are integrated into to both

Project designs and are aligned to mutual outcomes towards the control of erosive processes.

3.8 Management and Mitigation Measures

After the application of the proposed controls, no extreme or high risks were identified for the

Project as a result of climate and natural events. The following sections outline the approaches to

be taken by Metro Mining to address the identified natural events and climate change projections.

The risk assessment identified mitigated risks for the Project as being low to medium. As such, these

risks will be managed as part of initial design and/or routine operations and will be maintained

under review. It is expected that existing controls will be sufficient and no further action will be

required to treat them unless they become more severe.

The infrastructure for the Project will be designed for tropical conditions. As such the current range

of temperatures and projected increase in ambient temperature over the 12 year mine life will be

within designed operating ranges.

Extreme heat days and how this may impact the workforce will be addressed through the ongoing

review of workplace operating procedures and the health and safety system, noting the mine will

not be operating over the hotter summer wet season. Any temperature increases associated with

climate change over the 12 year period of the mine would be extremely minor, and have no

discernible impact on the operational or safe working environment at the Project.

The water management system will be designed to include tolerances to cater to changes in annual

rainfall averages and potential evaporation. As such it is not expected that increases or decreases in

either variable will have a significant effect on the water management system for the Project. Raw

water for the Project will be sourced from the GAB and/or the shallow aquifers in the Project area

and pumped as required, with minimal storage being required.

The Project is located in a site that already experiences extreme variation in precipitation. This

variation is already incorporated into the site water balance and environmental management

systems. While it is possible that either increases or decreases in the amount of precipitation could


3-24

result in erosion occurring onsite and less than optimal rehabilitation establishment, the proposed

monitoring and adaptive management practices proposed in Chapter 4 – Land will adequately

address variations associated with normal climate fluctuations and climate change projections.

Any minor change in the average wind speed in the 12 years of mine site operation could potentially

result in increased dust dispersal at the Project area. Given the low potential change of wind speed,

with the significant buffer of results before any impact would be discernible to the nearest sensitive

receptors, no additional management practices are predicted for the life of the mine, beyond that

discussed in Chapter 12 – Air Quality. In terms of impacts to operational capacity, it is expected that

the projected increase will be within design tolerances and will not pose a significant risks to

operations or workplace safety.

Changes in relative humidity levels are considered to be within the design tolerances of the

infrastructure and are not expected to have a material impact on the Project.

Climate change projections show that the frequency of cyclones and tropical storms is predicted to

decrease; however, the intensity could increase in the longer term. Given the relatively short-term

timeframe for the Project, any potential increase in cyclone intensity would be minimal. The Project

area is already influenced by cyclonic activity and as such the infrastructure will be designed in

accordance with the necessary building code requirements relating to cyclonic activity mitigation.

It is expected that the projected intensification in cyclonic activity will be managed adequately

through the initial design of the infrastructure and the implementation of routine management and

maintenance systems. Health and safety procedures for working during periods of extreme cyclonic

conditions would be implemented from the onset of construction. These systems would be regularly

reviewed and amended as part of routine management and would be adapted to address any

changes required due to climate change. Modelling of the PMF determined there would be no

inundation of pits. This together with the short duration of the Project (i.e. 12 years) indicates that

changes in cyclone and storm intensity due to climate change would not have a material effect on

the Project.

Metro Mining will implement appropriate design and management procedures for managing flood

runoff and protecting offsite water quality. These will be assessed through routine monitoring and

maintenance activities. Where these activities do not achieve the Environmental Authority

conditions, procedures will be adapted to achieve compliance.

The projected increase in temperatures and evaporation, together with a potential decrease in

annual rainfall will add to the number of fire risk days in the Project area. An FMP will be prepared

that provides a strategic approach to the management of fires in the Project area. This document

will provide plans and processes based on contemporary “best-practice” for managing wild fire

risks. The FMP will be focused on preservation of life and infrastructure in a context that adheres to

ecological needs wherever possible. Moreover the strategy also aims to implement measures that

minimise the risk of fires leaving the Project area.

In addition to the FMP, infrastructure will have appropriate fire protection embedded into the

design in order to protect workers and equipment. It is therefore expected that the bushfire risk to

the Project will largely be managed through routine maintenance, with review and revision as

required.

The BLF will be designed with sufficient elevation to accommodate projected sea level increases and

extreme water levels. Any infrastructure that intersects with modelled flood levels (e.g. some haul

road crossings and the RoRo), will be designed to withstand periods of inundation. The onshore

infrastructure will be sufficiently located away from the coastline and designed to ensure any

inward encroachment of the shoreline does not impact on the operability of the infrastructure or


3-25

create a workplace health and safety risk. Projected sea level and extreme water level heights will

be factored into the design tolerance and as such it is expected that the projected increases in sea

level will not have a significant impact on the Project.

In terms of shipping activity, the existing measures established by Ports North and the DTMR will

be adhered to. It is expected that the management of shipping traffic through compliance with extant

shipping/navigation procedures will adequately mitigate the impacts of a cyclonic event or

projected increases in sea level.

3.9 Qualitative Risk Assessment

A qualitative risk assessment associated with the potential climate related impacts is summarised

in Table 3-8. An analysis of initial risk, without mitigation, was considered for each potential impact.

The residual risk considers the implementation of mitigation and management measures.

Table 3-8 Qualitative risk assessment – climate

Potential Impacts

Init

ial

Co

nse

qu

en

ce

Init

ial

Like

liho

od

Init

ial

Ris

k

Management and Mitigation Measures

Re

sid

ual

Ris

k

Intense storm and severe weather events – Damage to infrastructure and risk to staff.

Major Possible High

All infrastructure onsite will

be constructed to Australian

building standards and

policies. Measures will be

adopted to improve design

to strengthen structures

where necessary;

Additional onsite resources

and training provided to

nominated staff to attend to

emergencies; and

ERP to be prepared in

consultation with emergency

services.

Low

Humidity, wind and temperature inversions - Directly affect the extent and magnitude of impacts on air quality, particularly in relation to dust deposition rates and airborne dust levels.

Insignificant Possible Low

A range of dust suppression

measures for stockpiles and

roads have been developed

to ensure airborne dust

impacts are minimised.

These measures and the

potential impacts on air

quality in the Project area

are further discussed in

Chapter 12 – Air Quality.

Low


3-26

Potential Impacts

Init

ial

Co

nse

qu

en

ce

Init

ial

Like

liho

od

Init

ial

Ris

k


Re

sid

ual

Ris

k

Bushfire - Controlled and uncontrolled burns (e.g. from lightning strike) occur regularly surrounding the Project area. Access to the Project area is restricted for emergency services.

Evacuation from the site is restricted.

Moderate Possible High

Site specific FMP established

prior to the commencement

of construction including fire

breaks and low intensity

controlled burns;

Emergency response

procedures imbedded into

SHMS;

Fire protection

infrastructure e.g. water

sprays on conveyors,

imbedded into site design

and progressively installed

during construction;

Ongoing consultation with

Mapoon Land and Sea

Rangers, local authorities

and surrounding landholders

regarding fuel load

management;

Emergency Response Plan

(ERP) to be prepared in


services including personnel

trained in emergency

response, including fire

control; and

Induction and refresher

training of all staff in ERP.

Medium

Flood occurrence -

Flooding events may hinder the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the Project.

Moderate Likely High

Location of infrastructure in

accordance with flood

modelling and construction

in accordance with relevant

building standards;

Construction and

operational activities at site

shut down over wet season;

Pre-wet season preparation

to maintain infrastructure

and place into safest mode

over shut-down period;

Routine monitoring;




emergencies;



services; and


training of all staff in ERP.

Low


3-27

Potential Impacts

Init

ial

Co

nse

qu

en

ce

Init

ial

Like

liho

od

Init

ial

Ris

k


Re

sid

ual

Ris

k

Cyclone or storm event - Access to the Project area is restricted for emergency services.

Health and safety of employees and the community from storm surge, flooding and wind-blown debris.

Damage to conveyor and jetty infrastructure from storm surge and waves.

Damage to other infrastructure from wind and flooding.


Location of infrastructure in

accordance with flood

modelling and construction

in accordance with relevant

building standards;

Construction and

operational activities at site

shut down over wet season;

Pre-wet season preparation

to maintain infrastructure

and place into safest mode

over shut-down period;

Routine monitoring;




emergencies;



services;


training of all staff in ERP;

Installation of cyclone rated

moorings for barges and

marine vessels in an area

nominated by MSQ;

Cyclone rated infrastructure

certified as a Registered

Professional Engineer of

Queensland;

Ongoing consultation with

the Weipa emergency

services coordination centre;

and

Weather monitoring during

construction.

Medium


3-28

Potential Impacts

Init

ial

Co

nse

qu

en

ce

Init

ial

Like

liho

od

Init

ial

Ris

k


Re

sid

ual

Ris

k

Increased temperature - Increasing the levels of stress, illness or injury for site personnel.

Higher temperatures can increase the transmission of some diseases, e.g. mosquitoes and their potential to affect site personnel through mosquito borne diseases.

Damage to infrastructure.


Adequate shaded areas and

drinking water will be

available throughout the

MIA;

Staff will be encouraged to

hydrate regularly with

adequate drinking water to

be supplied;

Personal protective

equipment (for example

sunscreen, insect repellent

and hats) will be available

for staff;

Monitoring permanent and

temporary sources of water

for presence of species that

carry infectious diseases;

Infrastructure and

machinery utilised onsite

will be designed with

sufficient tolerances to

withstand current

temperature ranges and

projected temperature

increases; and

Infrastructure assets will be

monitored as part of

ongoing condition audits.

Low

3.10 Summary

The climate assessment of the region identified that the Project area experiences a tropical climate

which is characterised by high variability rainfall, evaporation and temperature. The Project region

experiences warmer summer months and milder winter months with the majority of rainfall

occurring in the warmer months between December and March. This is typical of the tropical

Queensland climate. Relative humidity in the region is generally higher in the mornings and in

summer. The primary wind direction is from the southeast. Seasonally, winds tend from northwest

to southeast and rarely blow from the north or south direction.

Project infrastructure will be designed and constructed to cope with the existing climate and future

potential climate change. Predicted changes in temperature, precipitation, cyclones and bushfires

have been considered, and the vulnerabilities of the infrastructure have been assessed using an

appropriate risk assessment process.

Potential consequences of climate change that have been considered include:

Exposure to higher temperatures;

Flooding from intense rainfall;


3-29

Reduction in rainwater availability;

Storm tide inundation;

Coastal erosion;

Damage from cyclonic conditions; and

Damage from bushfires.

Design features for wind action, coastal erosion, flooding and bushfires have been incorporated into

the design criteria and will continue to be considered during the detailed design phase. Strategies

to mitigate climate change impacts during the construction and operation phases of the Project have

been identified.

It was concluded from the risk assessment discussed above that there is currently adequate design

controls and strategies in place or planned to adequately mitigate climate change risk. Climate

change risk will continue to be assessed during further stages of Project implementation. The short

duration (i.e. 12 years) of the Project suggests that the Project will not be affected by climate change.

Metro Mining has; however, proactively considered climate change adaptation measures in the

design and operation to ensure the mine can minimise high risk impacts from these events which

have potential to cause significant damage and impacts on the Project.

3.11 Commitments

Metro Mining’s commitments, in relation to the Project’s climate risks, are provided in Table 3-9.

Table 3-9 Commitments – climate

Commitments

Develop emergency response plans, including training for emergency response personnel, prior to construction.

Develop and implement a Fire Management Plan. Develop and implement an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan.

Implement a Safety and Health Management System detailing the safety procedures to manage the health and safety of its employees in regard to natural hazards, including heat, storms and flood.

Develop a Project risk register and appropriate controls to manage any onsite natural hazards and reassess the existing risks and identify any additional mitigation measures.

Communicate potential risks and associated mitigation measures during site inductions.

Develop pre-wet season procedures to minimise risk to personnel, infrastructure and the environment from extreme natural events e.g. cyclones, flooding.

Incorporate appropriate standards into infrastructure design and construction including for tropical storms and for periodic inundation where identified.

Cooperate with Government and industry to adapt to climate change as required.

Design water management system to allow for variations in rainfall and evaporation.


3-30

3.12 ToR Cross-reference

Table 3-10 ToR cross reference table

Terms of Reference Section of the EIS

Climate

6.7 Describe the site’s climate patterns that are relevant to the environmental assessment, with particular regard to discharges to water and air and the propagation of noise.

Section 3.4

Climate information should be presented in a statistical form including long-term averages and extreme values, and any predicted changes associated with climate change, as necessary.

Section 3.4 and 3.6

6.8 Identify the vulnerability of the area to natural and induced hazards, including floods, bushfires and cyclones.

Section 3.5

Consider the relative frequency and magnitude of these events together with the risk they pose to the construction, operation and rehabilitation of the project.

Section 3.5

Measures that would be taken to minimise the risks of these events should be described.

Section 3.8 and 3.9

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