Referral To Qld Police Commissioner for Criminal Investigation Vitrinite Vulcan Coal Mine Approvals including Vitrinite Pty Ltd and other Vitrinite Directors related Australian based private companies
To Commissioner Katarina Carroll of the Queensland Police Service
RE Vitrinite Vulcan Mine Road Transport Approvals Two General Public deaths Public Roads Moranbah Dysart, Queensland State Government Approvals including Heavy Transport Approved Routes for Triple A Road Trains carrying up to 140 tonnes of unwashed coal
Sent at 9:22am Sunday 24th September 2023
Dear Commissioner Carrol
I wish to refer this matter to for for a Criminal Investigation
My first question are either yourself as Police Commissioner, or the Police Service aware of any Approvals by the Department of Transport and Main Roads for the Isaac Council areas, and in particular the public roads between the Vulcan Coal Mines and Anglo Moranbah North Coal Mine and the Anglo Middlemount Coal Mine?
As you are no doubt aware there have been two members of the General Public killed in less than a month in the Moranbah and Dysart from Triple A Road Trains that are contracted to the Vitrinite Vulcan Coal Mine and its associated companies to transport unwashed Vulcan Coal being transported from the Vulcan Mine to either the Anglo Moranbah North Mine washplant and to the Anglo Middlemount washplant for processing and washing.
The first was Mr James Rolph on the 27th of August this year
https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2023/08/27/fatal-traffic-crash-moranbah-5/
The second was Mr Chris Goodwin on the 9th of September this year
https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2023/09/03/fatal-traffic-crash-dysart/
Despite the community notice issued by Vitrinite Vulcan in August 2021, Kalari are not the company contracted to transport the Unwashed Coal
https://vitrinite.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Community_Notice_Road_Use.pdf
I believe that not to be true and the road transport is done by the same company engaged for actual mining operations on the Vulcan Mine Mine a Turners Engineering
https://www.turnerseng.com.au/
Minister Scott Stewart attended and officiated the ceremonial opening of the Vitrinite Vulcan Mine on behalf of the Queensland Government and all stake-holding Ministers involved in the approvals.
https://vitrinite.com.au/honourable-scott-stewart-mp-visits-the-vulcan-mine/
Despite my best efforts on the Department of Main Roads and Transport heavy vehicle section I cannot locate any approvals for Triple A road trains.
The only approval I can find is from 2017 and appears to deal with Triple B road trains, most likely for transporting cattle.
dysart moranbah approved B Triple map updated-20-10-2017 (2)
Vitrinite Vulcan road transport approvals should exist and be published and clearly visible on the Department Website.
These plans should have been approved and published either by Minister Mark Bailey and then Director General (DG), a Mr. Neil Scales
If the Minister and Director General have not approved and published a plan for Triple A for Vitrinite Vulcan and Associated Companies have there been breaches of the applicable Legislation by all parties involved including the Minister and DG?
While the Heavy Vehicle permit is my principal area of complaint, I will be lodging a further formal complaint referral to you in due course (likely tomorrow) about the whole approval process for Vitrinite Vulcan Mine, including the granting of all current Exploration Permits Coal (EPC), Mine Development Approvals (MDL), and full Mining Lease Approvals (ML) and Mine Rehabilitation Approvals issued by the Commissioner of Mine Site Rehabilitation Commissioner a Mr James Purtill.
While multiple Departments are involved in the issuing of the EPC, MDL and ML process is then and Current Resources Minister Scott Stewart and then DNRM Director General Mr James Purtill who were both the designated Minister and Director General General Mr James Purtill who approved the MDL and ML for Vitrinite Vulcan Mine
The approvals for the MDL and ML received final Approval by Resources Minister Stewart.
I believe that the Approval may have been a matter considered and approved by Governor in Council and ratified by the then Governor General.
Only Resources Minister Stewart can answer that Question.
I became aware of the Vitrinite Vulcan Mine only after reading the following news stories
Current and then Qld Resources Minister Scott Stewart formally opened the
We were delighted to have the Honourable Scott Stewart MP , AMEC (Association of Mining and Exploration Companies) Queensland Director Kate Dickson and Katie-Anne Mulder, Director, Resources Policy at Queensland Resources Council join Vitrinite at our Jupiter Project last week, to officiate the Queensland Governments approval of our Mining lease. With a beautiful Welcome to Country from Luarna Walsh and the Barada Barna Aboriginal Corporation.
We are proud to be a part of Queensland’s mining sector; creating at least 150 full-time jobs, which will lead to more indirect jobs, and significantly contributing to the state’s economy.
We are forever grateful and congratulate our entire team at Vitrinite , contractors; Turners Engineering, Kalari Pty Ltd and Sorterra and the local Dysart and Moranbah communities.
https://vitrinite.com.au/honourable-scott-stewart-mp-visits-the-vulcan-mine/
Vitrinite Vulcan announced on the 16th of August announced that Kalari were the company contracted to transport the unwashed coal.
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.
https://vitrinite.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Community_Notice_Road_Use.pdf
From my investigations at least the following Qld Legislation applies
https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/current/sl-2013-0076
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/heavy-vehicles/national-heavy-vehicle-regulator
I wish to indicate the further emails that I have sent the RSHQ Officers and the Resources Minister Scott Stewart about this matter that I will be forwarding to you.
- Communications between myself and the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) about Vitrinite Pty Ltd and associated companies and their parent entity a Vitrinite LLC in the United States
- Communications between myself and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Communications from the FIRB to myself stating the matter had been referred to the Australian Tax Office
In closing I ask you to act urgently before the next member of the general public is killed by a Vitrinite Vulcan Mine Triple A road train.
It is obvious by the concerted efforts of the Resources Minister Scott Stewart RSHQ Officers to not answer my queries, requests and offers to meet with them to take these Triple A Road trains off the road that they do not care or accept any responsibility.
These officers include the RSHQ CEO a Mr. Mark Stone and Coal Mines Inspectorate including the Chief Inspector of Coal Mines.
I have attached a series of text messages exchanged between myself and a Mr Daniel Collins stating that no-one from the RSHQ and its Coal Mine Inspectors would meet with me to discuss the matter
Text Exchange with Daniel Collins RSHQ appointed Officer CEO Stone and Minister Stewart
As I have told the Officers of the RSHQ I have mentioned as well as others and the Resource Minister.
“Don’t you care that two members of the general public on inadequate roads of the Central Highlands have been killed because of the approvals of multiple Queensland Government Departments including the DNRM and RSHQ?
Will it require the deaths of a car load of school children being driven to or from school by their mother and all the associated media scrutiny, before you take action?”
I have my firmly held suspicions of the reasons why.
Only the Police are in a position to legally investigate the circumstances of the deaths of Mr James Rolph and Mr. Chris Goodwin
Please Commissioner Carroll, take all the actions available to you before further deaths occur, and God forbid, the scenario of the car full of School children.
Can you please acknowledge receipt of this email either by email or text?
Also when you have decided on what actions you will or will not take can you again contact me by phone/and or email?
Yours in Safety
Stuart Vaccaneo
——– Forwarded Message ——–
| Subject: | Fwd: Fwd: Investment Vitrinite LLC (USA) in Vitrinite Pty Ltd and other Vitrinite Directors related Australian based private companies [SEC=OFFICIAL] |
|---|---|
| Date: | Sat, 23 Sep 2023 13:59:43 +1000 |
| From: | stuart vaccaneo <stuvac@bigpond.com> |
| To: | resources@ministerial.qld.gov.au, Mark Stone <Mark.Stone@rshq.qld.gov.au>, Commissioner RSH <Commissioner@rshq.qld.gov.au>, jacques.leroux@rshq.qld.gov.au, daniel collins <daniel.collins@rshq.qld.gov.au>, shaun.dobson@rshq.qld.gov.au, Qld Mines Inspectorate <QldMinesInspectorate@rshq.qld.gov.au>, Transport and Resources Committee <TRC@parliament.qld.gov.au> |
To RSHQ CEO Mark Stone, Chief Inspector of Coal Mines Jacques Leroux, Resources Minister Scott Stewart;
Dear Sirs;
I am through asking nicely to take the Vitrinite Vulcan Triple A Road trains or any other truck that Vitrinite Vulcan Coal uses to transport unwashed coal on the public roads of the Central Highlands.
I am going to state this as politely as possible.
I demand that you address the unacceptable level of risk to the General Public posed by Vitrinite Vulcan trucks by acting in concert with the Department of Main Roads and Transport and in particular the Transport Road Worthy Sections and the Qld Commissioner of Police to achieve this as soon as is physically possible.
I also require the Resources Minister in company of RSHQ CEO Stone and CIOCM Leroux and the Police Commissioner firstly to publish a joint published statement stating that the Vitrinite Vulcan trucks immediately stop the activities on Qld Public Roads as soon as possible.
The Mayors of both the Issac and Central Highlands are to be contacted directly and made aware of the situation
Further to that the same group needs to call an open media conference at some mutually agreeable time to answer questions from the media.
As to the mining operations on the Vitrinite Vulcan Mines lease and all other Mining Leases Coal and otherwise that Vitrinite Pty Ltd and Associated entities have, the appropriate Inspectors are to contact the respective SSE’s as soon as possible and deliver at least a verbal Directive to the SSE that Mining Activities are to cease until the respective SSE’s can prove to the satisfaction of the Directive Issuing inspector that the SSE in fact the Mining Activities and associated Safety and Health Management System creates an acceptable level of risk to coal mineworkers.
As to any unwashed coa,l it is to remain on the Vitrinite Vulcan lease and shall not be transported unless it can be transported without using the public road network. For all I care it can slowly spontaneously combust until it is little more than low grade high ash steaming coal for I care.
However if it is possible to transport it to say BMA Peak Downs without using Public roads, that is not really a matter that concerns me on one proviso.
BMA Peak Downs is satisfied itself and confirms it in writing to the CIOCM Leroux that they believe transporting the unwashed coal to Peak Downs can be done at an acceptable level of risk to coal mine workers.
I also need the Resources Minister Scott Stewart and RSHQ CEO Mark Stone to contact their equivalents at the Police, Transport and Main Roads, Environment and the Revenue Office Office and the Mine Rehabilitation Commission to ascertain if Vitrinite Ptd Ltd and its associated companies that are the Holders of the Mining Lease, are fit and proper to retain their existing leases both Exploration, Mine Development and full Mining Leases.
In closing I wish to ask for two courtesies.
1) The CIOCM Leroux to reply to this email indicating successful receipt and that the email has been read and being acted on. I also require a test message be sent to my phone indicating the same.
2) Whatever actions the RSHQ Inspectorate are going to take, (or not take), also be communicated via email as soon as possible. If a test message could be sent at the same time telling me an email has been sent I would be appreciative.
I am also happy to discuss the matter with you all either in person or via zoom or similar facility
Yours in Safety
Stuart Vaccaneo
——– Forwarded Message ——–
| Subject: | Fwd: Investment Vitrinite LLC (USA) in Vitrinite Pty Ltd and other Vitrinite Directors related Australian based private companies [SEC=OFFICIAL] |
|---|---|
| Date: | Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:12:36 +1000 |
| From: | stuart vaccaneo <stuvac@bigpond.com> |
| To: | jacques.leroux@rshq.qld.gov.au, shaun.dobson@rshq.qld.gov.au, daniel collins <daniel.collins@rshq.qld.gov.au>, Mark Stone <Mark.Stone@rshq.qld.gov.au>, resources@ministerial.qld.gov.au |
To Qld CIOCM Jacques Leroux
Dear Jacques,
I need you to contact me as soon as possible to discuss my urgent request/demand that the Vitrinite Vulcan Road Train Trucks be taken off the road immediately in light of the correspondence below from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
I have tried the Brisbane Office land line for the CIOCM and it rang out and saying it was CIOCM Peter Newman’s number/office.
How symptomatic of RSHQ under your watch.
At least 9 or 10 months behind
I have tried the Brisbane Office number 4 times between 4:20 pm and 4:50 pm in between other calls and it does not ring and it is just a beeping busy tone.
I even tried the weekend/after hours duty inspector number1300 882 096 and just rang out as well.
I have left messages on the mobile phones of RSHQ CEO Mark Stone, Daniel Collins, and just now DCIOCM Dobson.
I need to speak to the CIOCM Jacques Leroux as soon as possible to address this UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF RISK to COAL MINE WORKERS and the GENERAL PUBLIC before someone else is killed
It seems that there has been another accident involving Vulcan Mine operations reported yesterday.
I await first an urgent phone call and then later a written response from either the CIOCM Leroux or the DCIOCM Dobson (if Leroux is unavailable to rig me)
Yours in Safety
Stuart Vaccaneo
Two people were taken to hospital with back pain and facial injuries from a truck crash at a Queensland mine just days after mine safety watchdog cracked down and partially suspended operations.
A Queensland Police spokesman said a truck and vehicle collided on private property on Saraji Road at about 1pm.
——– Forwarded Message ——–
