Proponent: Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd
Overview
Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd is proposing to develop an underground mine, located approximately 30 km south of Darwin, on the Cox Peninsula. The Lei Lithium Project is located on parcel 2746 hundred of Hughes within the Cox-Daly un-incorporated local government area (Mineral Lease Application 33874). The underlying land tenure is vacant crown land.
The proposed action is:
- to mine approximately 3.10 million tonnes (Mt) of spodumene ore via underground mining methods to an approximate depth of 700 m below surface
- to crush and screen mined ore on site to produce direct shipping ore and transport it via truck to Darwin Port for export
- to temporarily store waste rock at the surface before being used to backfill the box-cut and underground
- to construct ancillary infrastructure including a power station, access roads and internal haul roads
- a water management system to meet construction demand (300 ML for the initial 6 months) and operational demand (282 ML/ per year) comprising three water dams and a sediment dam
- wastewater discharge.
The life of mine is approximately 7 years from construction to rehabilitation and closure. The proponent estimates a required workforce of 60 personnel during construction and between 80 and 100 personnel during operations.
Stage 1: Referral
NT EPA notices
- Notice of Decision to accept referral for standard assessment PDF (1.6 MB) – 04 December 2024.
- Notice of decision and statement of reasons – assessment by SER PDF (79.9 KB) – 05 February 2025
Public consultation
Statutory notice (6 December 2024)
The NT EPA published a statutory notice on 6 December 2024 to invite public comment on the referral for standard assessment submitted by Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd for the Lei Lithium Project, located approximately 30 km south of Darwin on parcel 2746 hundred of Hughes on the Cox Peninsula within the Cox-Daly un-incorporated local government area (Mineral Lease Application 33874).
Interested persons were invited to make a submission by 8 January 2025. The NT EPA published the notice in accordance with regulation 52(1) of the Environment Protection Regulations 2020.
Documents
| Referral | Type |
|---|---|
| Referral form | PDF 440.5 KB |
| Referral Report | PDF 15.5 MB |
| Appendix A - Pre-referral screening report | PDF 2.4 MB |
| Appendix B - Ecological assessment | PDF 6.3 MB |
| Appendix C - Supplementary ecological assessment | PDF 19.1 MB |
| Appendix D - Haulage route assessment | PDF 3.2 MB |
| Appendix E - Stakeholder engagement plan | PDF 794.3 KB |
| Appendix F - Geochemical characterisation final report | PDF 6.6 MB |
| Appendix G - Preliminary groundwater assessment | PDF 2.8 MB |
| Appendix H - Groundwater bore drilling report | PDF 11.6 MB |
| Appendix I - Preliminary surface water assessment | PDF 1.7 MB |
Submissions received on the referral
| Public submissions | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Environment Centre NT | PDF 88.6 KB |
| 7 | Northern Land Council | PDF 422.8 KB |