Contract Mineworker Fatal Crash Dysart 3rd Sept 2023. Resource Minister Scott Stewart, what is in the secret Commercial in Confidence Local Road Use Agreement with Vitrinite Coal Vulcan Mine
A Queensland Police Service statement said the 45-year-old man from Owens Creek, west of Mackay, died in Moranbah Hospital on Sunday just hours after a two vehicle crash at Dysart.
“Initial investigations indicate around 4.30am a coal truck towing a trailer and a 4WD were travelling along Saraji Rd,” the statement said.
“The truck’s trailer rolled and struck the 4WD, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
“The driver of the truck was unharmed.”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/police-courts/crashes-at-coppabella-dysart-leave-two-critical-in-hospital/news-story/85c5f35dba37b687b005deb733d7c83a
Maybe our professional Mining and Gas Conference attending and Mine Opening specialist, the Resource Minister Scott Stewart, can shed some light on how and why the State Labor Government reached agreement this agreement that allows AB Triples combinations carrying coal on the public roads.
Minister Scott Stewart, can you explain how a small start up company with its first ever operating coal mine specifically targeting export only high quality hard coking coal without any on site washplant, to truck coal all over the Central Highlands
Minister Stewart, you turned on the GPS and managed to find your way to the then newest Bowen Basin Coal Mine Site near Moranbah to officiate the Queensland Governments approval of the Vulcan Coal Mining lease. This included reaching agreement with the State Labor Govt to transport up to 2 Million tonnes per year of high grade export coking coal to other existing totally unrelated Coal Mines.
Vitrinite Coal was so delighted that you came “to officiate the Queensland Governments approval of our Mining Lease” Vitrinite Coal even put out a special press release on the 30th of September 2021. https://vitrinite.com.au/honourable-scott-stewart-mp…/
How long did the State Labor Government “secret commercial in confidence” deal in 2021, allow Vitrinite to transport at least the 2 million tonnes a year for?
When did Vitrinite commit to having the washplant and rail loop built by?
Certainly not in the first three to five years if the latest announcement from the Qld Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on the 23rd November 2022 are any guide.
https://epbcpublicportal.awe.gov.au/_entity/sharepointdocumentlocation/b88608f7-796b-ed11-81ac-00224818a1ee/2ab10dab-d681-4911-b881-cc99413f07b6?file=00-2022-09361%20Referral.pdf
The loop is positioned in the western portion of the ML, between the ML boundary and the existing BMA flood levee that runs north-south through the ML. The loop will require approximately 4.5 km of rail to be located on the ML. A number of areas of cut and fill will be required along the alignment to produce required gradients. Controlled level crossings are proposed where the rail line crosses Saraji Road. Product coal will be transported by rail from the VCM using the Goonyella Rail network
What a glorious way for a small start up export coking operation to get large cash flow almost immediately and not have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars up front and likely 2 years of construction time in building a proper rail loop train load out and washplant.
According to the Vitrinite Website the Jupiter Project or Vulcan Mine is Vitrinite’s first coal mine to actually start mining export quality coal and selling it.
Vitrinite acquired the Jupiter Project asset on the 17th September 2018. Two (2) phases of drilling have now been carried out including the most recent ‘Geostatistical Grid’ drilling for JORC Measured in the Vulcan Pit area.
Over 55km strike of confirmed hard coking coal adjacent to world benchmark premium hard coking coal mine
- Multiple target areas with depth of weathering <10m depth;
- Close to rail, water and power infrastructure as well as services in Dysart and Moranbah;
- Open Cut, with depth ranging from surface to 100 m
Why has this unproven start up coal mining company been granted special conditions that no new export coking coal company has been allowed to do since the early part of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen time as Premier in the early 70’s.
Not only been approved by a State Labor Government; the very same Labor Government reached a commercial in confidence deal allowing Vitrinite to use the inadequate, long term under resourced accident prone roads of the the Central Highlands Isaac Council to transport the export only coking coal .
All by using up to AB Triples combinations and consists of up to 50 movements per day. Road users should expect minor delays.
The State Labor Government with Resource Minister Scott Stewart one of the principal stakeholder Ministers, then helped Vitrinite even more. They allowed these B triple road trains to have a raised upper legal speed limit of 100 km/h, up from 90km/h.
I have been told that the standard B triple road trains are rated to carry 140 tonnes of coal. I am not sure what the extra stopping distance is required for the extra speed.
Let alone the danger posed especially by the movement of the last trailer in the road train
From 9 September 2022, B-triple road train combinations are permitted to travel at speeds of up to 100 km/h,
This is the very same Labor Party who are committed both at State and National level to wiping out the export and domestic thermal coal industry and coal fired power stations by 2030 in part and by 2050 in full
The only parts of the Coal Industry the Qld State Labor Government does love and boast about are the Billions of Dollars in royalties they get every years and are milking to death.
What for?
To fund their latest Billion dollar Rail or Transport tunnel in Brisbane that will take 10 years to build, and quadruple in cost before it is completed; or the Premier “Queen Annastacia” Palaszczuk un-costed Olympic spending spree.
Vitrinite in its Community Notice boasts that to transport the Coal and the general public Road users should expect minor delays.
To undertake the haulage activities, Vitrinite have partnered with Kalari who have a local presence and a proven track record of safe and effective road haulage with world class safety monitoring and management systems.
Vitrinite did you actually use Kalari as you stated you would when negotiating your approval; or did you in fact contract some other company?
When will Vitrinite actually have their own and washplant and rail loop and sending the coal straight to the ports?
Vitrinite, is there any truth that you are in fact part way through purchasing your own Coal Road Train fleet to replace or supplement your current contractor?
Vitrinite and the State Labor Government confidential in confidence agreement boasts that “Road users should expect minor delays.
Not rolling the dice every time they drive on Central Highlands Roads they will be the next person killed by a Vitrinite Coal Road Train.
Resource Minister Scott Stewart (ALP), the only reason these AB Triples combinations are on the road carrying coal at all is due to a decision that spans multiple Departments and Ministers, and especially you as Resources Minister.
Your decisions on allowing this are no doubt Secret Commercial in Confidence Arrangements between our so called Labor State Government and Vitrinite Vulcan.
Minister Stewart will you say anything about this road death that only occurred due to your decision?
How many more of the general public will be similarly killed and maimed before enough is enough?
Do we have to wait for a Coroner to decide to have a hearing that will take at least 2 years before you or any of the public service are forced to say something under sworn oath?
How many more will die in the meantime, all due to a senseless secret agreement and decision you made well over 2 years ago?
https://vitrinite.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Community_Notice_Road_Use.pdf?fbclid=IwAR08ZcAvcRQN3RpMZyP1MO46_7taCnRgrHQUpCiwjxkJg5fPL9zpDWQJ5eg
Date: 16th August 2021
Subject: Local Road Use
Vitrinite is a locally owned, Junior miner that has recently started production at the Vulcan Mine.
Located mid-way between Dysart and Moranbah on Saraji Road, Vulcan mine is the newest premium hard coking coal mine in the region and is a small open cut operation producing up to 2Mtpa.
During the ramp up phase of the mine and prior to constructing dedicated wash plant and rail facilities, unprocessed coal will be hauled from the mine site to existing under-utilised and nearby wash plant facilities via public roads.
Road use approvals have been obtained through local council and the state authorities thorough notifiable road use agreements, backed by detailed traffic and pavement impacts assessments.
To undertake the haulage activities, Vitrinite have partnered with Kalari who have a local presence and a proven track record of safe and effective road haulage with world class safety monitoring and management systems.
Set to commence in late August, coal will be delivered to a combination of Moranbah North Mine, Blair Athol Mine and Capcoal Operations using AB Triples combinations and consists of up to 50 movements per day. Road users should expect minor delays.
Vitrinite and Kalari are committed to road safety and have implemented a detailed road use management plan, approved by local council, to ensure the safe operations and safety of all road users.
If you have any questions regarding the planned haulage, please contact Vitrinite’s Communications Officer, Rachael Dacker on (07) 3174 4816
