The Queensland government has designated the PhosOne phosphate project, a joint venture between North West Phosphate (NWP) and Sibanye-Stillwater, as a ‘prescribed project’ to accelerate its development. This status streamlines the approval process for the integrated project, which is projected to generate $1.4 billion in economic value and create 240 ongoing and 490 construction jobs in North West Queensland.
The PhosOne project involves mining phosphate ore from NWP’s Paradise South mine, 130km northwest of Mount Isa. The ore will be transported to the Century mine for initial processing, followed by further processing at the Port of Karumba before being shipped to trade partners. The project has received $5.77 million in funding from the Mount Isa Mining Acceleration Program.
North West Phosphate Managing Director John Cotter highlighted the importance of the prescribed project status, stating that it indicates strong support from the Queensland Government and provides momentum as the project progresses. Assistant Minister Sean Dillion emphasized the potential for increased domestic fertilizer production and mining development. Phosphate is crucial for Australia’s agriculture industry and decarbonization technologies, used in fertilizers, food, cosmetics, and electronics.
