Shree Minerals : Annual Compliance Report EPBC, 2022

ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

PERMIT EPBC 2011/5846

SHREE MINERALS LTD, ACN130618683

NELSON BAY RIVER MAGNETITE AND HEMATITE MINE

(Near Nelson Bay River, North-West Tasmania)

1st November 2021 - 31st October 2022

AUTHOR: SANJAY LOYALKA

15 November 2022

Annual Compliance Report for EPBC 2011/5846, Shree Minerals - Nelson Bay River Mine, 15 November 2022

	Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................	1
EPBC approval Conditions Compliance Table .........................................................................................	2
Appendix A........................................................................................................................................	20

Annual Compliance Report for EPBC 2011/5846, Shree Minerals - Nelson Bay River Mine, 15 November 2022

Annual Report for EPBC 2011/5846 (November 2022)

Introduction

On 29th July 2013, permit EPBC 2011/5846 was issued, and site clearing works recommenced on 12th August 2013. Notification to the department (DSEWPaC) was done on 16th August 2013 for commencement on 12th August 2013 to comply with Condition 22 (EPBC 2011/5846). Ore production commenced in November 2013. Iron Ore sales commenced in January 2014. Consequent to collapse in Iron Ore prices, the project has had to be suspended within 6 months of start-up & put under care & maintenance. The market conditions for Iron Ore have subsequently improved and provided opportunity for the Project to be taken out of care and maintenance and be operational since then.

In December 2014 the Tasmanian Supreme Court ruled the Environment Protection Notice No. 8977/1, issued by the Director of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the Project, as invalid. To resolve the legal issues with old Tasmanian Environmental permit, the company has been working with the Tasmanian Government over this period and has submitted an application for a new Tasmanian Environmental permit for DSO operations at NBR. In October 2021, EPA has advised the Company that the DPEMP has been prepared in accordance with the guidance provided by Board of the Environment Protection Authority ("the Board") under section 74(3) of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 ("EMPC Act") and is taken to be lodged under section 27F(1A). Documents were advertised for public representations between Dec 2021 & Feb 2022 by EPA and the Circular Head Council (Council).

EPA notified Shree in March 2022 that during the period for public consultation on this proposal, one representation was received and comments on the project were also received from several State Government agencies and bodies. EPA has since issued two RFIs & the Company has submitted two supplementary DPEMPS in response.

EPA had also advised the Company on 25 March 2022 that having considered the comments raised by the public representation and agency submissions, Shree should refer the current development proposal to the Commonwealth Government's Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) for determination under the EPBC Act in relation to the Giant Freshwater Crayfish (A. Gouldi). The Company has in mid- April 2022 sought clarification from DAWE in this regard. The Company has received advise from DCCEEW on 18 October that that it has reviewed the Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan ("Proposal") dated August 2021 submitted by Shree to the EPA. After careful consideration, The Department has determined that the changes in the Proposal are not consistent with the EPBC approval previously granted in 2013. The Department considers that the changes are not within the scope of EPBC Act approval 2011/5846 and holds the view that the proposed varied action should be referred for assessment under the EPBC Act. The Company has made a submission on 3 November 2022 to Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ("DCCEEW" and or "The Department") to reconsider their advice of 18 October 2022.

In 2016, the company took steps to crush & ship out some of the Iron Ore from the inventory (mined prior to June 2014) at site, while the operations continue on care & Maintenance. This was communicated to the Department vide email 28th April 2016 to [e-mail].

Consequently, since June 2014, no mining operations are being carried out and the project is under care and Maintenance Plan and without state environmental approval for conducting mining operations.

The mining & production figures are as per Table 1.

Annual Compliance Report for EPBC 2011/5846, Shree Minerals - Nelson Bay River Mine, 15 November 2022

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Annual Report for EPBC 2011/5846 (November 2022)

Table 1

		Year	Year	Year	Year	Period 1/7/	Period 1/11/
		ending	ending	ending	ending	2017 to	2017 to
		June	June	June	June	31/10/2017	31/10/2022
		2014	2015	2016	2017
Waste	BCM		0	0	0	0	0
Stripping		636,347
Ore	Tonnes		0	0	0	0	0
Mining		224,571
Ore	Tonnes		0	20,059	23,211	0	0
Crushing		153,332
&
screening
Sales	Tonnes		0	0	50,696	0	0
		130,899

Shree intend to recommence operations once State environmental approvals are on hand as the current iron ore price atmosphere is supportive.

This annual report covers the period of 12 months ending 31st October 2022.

EPBC approval conditions compliance table

	Condition	Condition (summary description)	Is the	Evidence/Comments
	Number/		project
	reference		compliant
			with this
			condition?
1	Environmental induction training	Compliant	Environmental induction training
		and awareness program		and awareness program in place.
2	Monthly meetings prior to	Compliant	Monthly	toolbox	meetings
		commencement of each shift to		conducted		prior	to
		maintain worker knowledge about		commencement	of	each
		EPBC issues		operating shift.
3	EPBC Species Management Plan	Compliant	Please refer to this table w.r.t.
				condition 25.e); condition 3.
4	Pre-clearance surveys	Compliant	No clearance has been done
				since the mine has been under
				Care & Maintenance from June
				2014.
				Please refer to this table w.r.t.
				condition 25.e); condition 3.

Annual Compliance Report for EPBC 2011/5846, Shree Minerals - Nelson Bay River Mine, 15 November 2022

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Annual Report for EPBC 2011/5846 (November 2022)

5

Bus Service for each shift to

Compliant

Collins Contracting contracted to

transport staff, contractors and

provide

bus service

from

visitors between the mine site and

commencement

to

the

time

the town of Smithton

mine

operations

suspended

&

mine put under Care &

Maintenance in June 2014.

During

Care

&

Maintenance

there is only one staff visiting

the

mine

and

infrequently

contractors.

They are

using

exempted vehicles

as

per

condition 6 of this table. In end

October 2022, during a severe

weather event the bridge on the

Wuthering Heights Road owned

by Sustainable Timber Tasmania

has been damaged & access to

site is currently cut off.

6

Ensure that staff,

Compliant

Implemented since

contractors and visitors use the bus

commencement.

to travel to and from the site.

A number of vehicles are

exempted from this condition,

with a register of

those vehicles maintained on

site. All vehicles greater than 4.5

GVT are

considered automatically

exempt in accordance with

written advice from

the

Department

(letter

dated

21st November 2013).

7

All roads within the mine site are

Compliant

All

measures

in

place

&

designed, built and maintained in a

maintained.

manner that minimises the potential

During

Care

&

Maintenance

for EPBC species roadkill, through

there is

minimal

traffic on the

deterrence and increased visibility

roads as only one staff visiting

the

mine

and

infrequently

contractors.

In

end

October

2022, during a severe weather

event the bridge on the

Wuthering Heights Road owned

by Sustainable Timber Tasmania

has been damaged & access to

site is currently cut off.

8

Travel to and from the mine site by

Compliant

Requirements

are

reiterated

authorised vehicles other than light

with staff and contractors on a

vehicles and buses driven by or for

regular basis.

Annual Compliance Report for EPBC 2011/5846, Shree Minerals - Nelson Bay River Mine, 15 November 2022

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