Cape Flattery Silica Sand project

Status

EIS active

Jobs

80 (construction) + 80 (operational)

Investment

$240 million

Project overview*

EIS statusEIS active
Description Greenfield silica sand mine and processing plants producing up to 4 million tonnes per annum of run-of-mine silica sand for export, for up to 15 years.
Proponent Cape Flattery Silica Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Diatreme Resources Ltd.
Location/s

42km northeast of Hope Vale and 200km north of Cairns.

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Local government/s Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council and Cook Shire Council
Investment

Up to $240 million

Key features
  • open cut silica sand mine
  • mine infrastructure area
  • two processing plants, product stockpile area and conveyors
  • jetty and marine offloading infrastructure within the Port of Cape Flattery, for transport to ocean-going vessels
Construction start date 2025
Jobs
  • 80 (construction)
  • 80 (operational)

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Environmental impact statement (EIS) process

DateActivity
Currently Draft terms of reference for EIS and comments being assessed.
3 June 2024 to 8 July 2024 Draft terms of reference ( 630.4 KB) for EIS public consultation.
15 December 2023 Gazettal (pdf_file 247 KB) of 'coordinated project' declaration.
23 November 2023

Application, including initial advice statement (pdf_file 18 MB) submitted.

16 January 2023 Australian Minister for the Environment and Water decided the project is a ‘controlled action’. 

A project that has the potential to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance is called a 'controlled action' and requires approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

Further information

Read more about the EIS process.

Last updated: 15 September 2026

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