the fact that the state is both the landowner and operates the site through the AMLP and that most of the land within tenure has been subject to historical contamination. A PMLU is defined under section 112 of the EP Act as the purpose for which the land will be used after all relevant activities for the PRC Plan carried out on the land have ended. The determination of the most appropriate PMLU to be nominated for the Upper Mundic Gully TSF has been based on relevant legislation, planning scheme and guidance documentation, existing surrounding land uses plus assessment of land suitability and capability of the disturbed areas. A Land Use Suitability Five land suitability classes are defined for use in Queensland, with land suitability decreasing progressively from Class 1 to Class 5. Classes 1 to 3 are suitable for agricultural production. Class 1 land is highly productive, requiring only simple management practices to maintain economic production, with minimal degradation to the land resource. Class 5 land has extreme limitations that preclude the possibility of successful sustained use of the land in the proposed manner. Table F2 of the current EA provides a minimum Class 4 land suitability objective outcome for most mine features with occasional Class 5 outcome for latent tailings domains. This land suitability outcome suggested that soils across the site are not productive to support large scale agriculture or cropping with severe limitations assigned to the site.
B
Land Use Strategies and Regional Planning
Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 The site is in the Limited development (constrained land) zone and Mount Morgan mine precinct under the Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 ( Planning Scheme ). The outcomes for this land under the Planning Scheme are as follows: ∕ Development within the Mount Morgan mine precinct area is limited to mining activities or tourist related activities and facilities associated with former mining activities; and ∕ Development addresses natural and environmental constraints, environmental nuisances and impacts on the surrounding community including scenic amenity. Central Queensland Regional Plan 2013 The Central Queensland Regional Plan 2013 contemplates the ongoing outcome of the land as an abandoned mine managed by the State, with the possibility of ancillary tourism activities. The plan states the following in relation to the site: In relation to mine site rehabilitation, the state government is working to improve water quality in the Dee River through its ongoing program to rehabilitate the abandoned Mount Morgan Mine site. The state took over management of the Mount Morgan Mine in 1993 after operations ceased in November 1990. The state accepted responsibility when the tenure was relinquished. The state is investing $470 000 in equipment upgrades as well as installing three new evaporators for $1.2 million for site rehabilitation. This equipment will help accelerate the lowering of water levels in the open cut mine pit, further reducing the likelihood of an uncontrolled discharge of pit water into the Dee River, and also reducing site seepage. The state government has also increased its water quality monitoring and sediment testing activities downstream of the Mount Morgan mine site to monitor and assess potential risks to water quality for livestock or irrigated crops. Regular monitoring of the surface and ground water along the Dee River is being undertaken up to 140 km downstream of the mine site.
Project number: 25B061
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