Tabba Tabba Project

Overview

Wildcat (Tabba) Pty Ltd proposes to construct and operate the Tabba Tabba Project (the Proposal) located approximately 50 kilometres (km) southeast of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region. The proposal is located within the Nyamal Native Title Determination Area. 

The Proposal is to mine spodumene, petalite and tantalum from six ore bodies via both open pit and underground operations through conventional drill and blast methods. The processing of product would be through a 4.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) spodumene processing plant, 1 Mtpa petalite processing plant and 0.5 Mtpa tantalum processing plant. Concentrates would be transported from the site by road for export, likely from Port Hedland. 

The Proposal includes open pits, boxcut to underground portal, waste rock landforms, an integrated waste landform tailings storage facility, run-of-mine pad, administration and workshop buildings, accommodation village, waste water treatment plants, landfills, dewatering and borefield infrastructure, hybrid power station including liquified natural gas (LNG) turbines, solar farm and battery energy storage system and associated mining infrastructure. 

The Proposal has a disturbance footprint of up to 2,180 hectares (ha) within a 4,840 ha development envelope. The proposed project life is 20 years, including construction and decommissioning phases.

Why your views matter

At this initial stage of the EIA process, comment is simply sought on whether or not the EPA should assess a proposal and, if so, what level of assessment is considered appropriate.

What happens next

Following the seven day public comment period and consideration of any comments received, the EPA will decide whether or not this proposal requires environmental impact assessment and, if so, what level of assessment will be applied.

The EPA's decisions on level of assessment are published on the EPA's website.

To receive updates about this proposal or scheme, you must subscribe to email notifications through the EPA's website. Email subscription is the only way you will be notified of updates.