Queensland Pacific Metals Ltd (ASX:QPM) has secured a development permit under the Planning Act 2016 and an environmental authority (EA) for the TECH Project under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The development permit for the TECH Project was granted in accordance with the Townsville City Plan 2014, following assessment of QPM’s Material Change of Use (MCU) development application.
Fully permitted
The development permit and EA allow QPM to operate Stage 1 of the TECH Project, notionally processing roughly 1.6 million wet metric tonnes of ore per annum to produce approximately 16,000 tonnes of nickel metal and 1,750 tonnes of cobalt metal, both in sulphate form, as well as other valuable co-products.
With the EA in place, and following the approval received in November from the Australian Federal Government, QPM has now received all primary approvals to begin construction of the TECH Project at Lansdown.
The conditions associated with the development permit and EA are in line with what would be expected for a project of this type and do not impose any onerous development or operating concerns.
Lansdown supporting infrastructure
As part of developing Lansdown as a modern eco-industrial precinct, Townsville City Council will construct key supporting infrastructure including access roads and water supply.
The council has already started construction of an access road that connects the existing Jones Rd to the northern boundary of QPM’s Lansdown site.
Construction of this infrastructure is being supported with grants from both State and Federal governments.
Subject to weather conditions, construction of the access road is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2023, whereupon QPM will start preliminary site establishment works – this is anticipated to start in around March or April of the new year.
QPM managing director Dr Stephen Grocott said: “I’m delighted that all key permits have now been received for the TECH Project, which is a major milestone for QPM.
“It is also exciting to see activity happenning at Lansdown and we thank the Townsville City Council for the work it has put into making this eco-industrial precinct a reality.
“We also acknowledge the support and assistance of the Queensland government through the Office of the Coordinator General.”