Christmas Island-Phosphate Resources would commit an estimated $50 million and set aside significantly more space as so-called green spots in order to gain approval to expand its operations.
Christmas Island-Phosphate Resources would commit an estimated $50 million and set aside significantly more space as so-called green spots in order to gain approval to expand its operations.
The information is contained in a Phosphate Resources' submission to the federal government, which is consideringa proposal to expand existing mine operations by 256 hectares.
The previous Howard government knocked back the expansion bid, but that decision must be reconsidered for legal reasons.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has made the new information, contained in a supplementary submission by the company, available for public comment until July 23.
Christmas Island is an Australian territory located in the Indian Ocean.
Phosphate Resources said that the $50 million total was comprised of it assuming all the rehabilitation costs for the expanded mine as well as continuing to pay the $2 per tonne conservation levy on dry shipped phosphate, which would amount to $27.3 million, based on 650,000 tonnes a year production from new and existing leases over 21 years, and a new fund.
The company said the proposed fund would be jointly managed with Parks Australia and the Attorney-
General's Department for environmental and ecologically sustainable development projects on the island.
Phosphate Resources said it would seed this fund with $5 million up front to assist with urgent conservation needs and then pay $1.15 per tonne, which would amount to $15.7 million over the same period.
"In round figures based on a production output average of 650,000 tonnes per year, the fund payment, the extra conservation levy and the rehabilitation costs assumed by the company comprise an additional payment of some $50 million to environmental protection, environment enhancement and ecologically sustainable development initiatives on the island," Phosphate Resources said in its submission.
"The payments proposed by the company would be in addition to current imposts paid to the Commonwealth via royalties and rents."
In addition the company said it would leave behind sufficient additional topsoil to allow an average coverage of 0.5
metres across the eight proposed leases.
"However, to maximise the value of this resource, the company proposes that this topsoil will be concentrated in strategic "green spots" together with wooden debris created by clearing to a depth of two metres."
"This new commitment will expand the area of 'green spots' in each proposed lease from 5 per cent to more than 25 per cent, and will allow rehabilitation in these 'green spots' to target the re-establishment of evergreen closed forest, which may range from complex mesophyll vine forests to mesophyll vine forests."
