17 June 2025
Northern Silica Project awarded Major Project Status
• Diatreme’s Northern Silica Project awarded Major Project Status by the Australian Government, currently the only project in Queensland to hold this designation
• Major Projects Facilitation Agency will provide coordination and facilitation support for Federal Government approvals and support negotiations with relevant State Government agencies
• Environmental Impact Statement and approval applications currently underway pursuant to State and Federal regulatory processes, for key critical minerals project in Far North Qld.
Emerging silica sands developer and producer, Diatreme Resources Limited (ASX:DRX) has secured Major Project Status for its Northern Silica Project (NSP) through the Federal Government’s Major Projects Facilitation Agency (MPFA), a significant boost for the key critical minerals project. Following an extensive engagement process, the formal decision and project designation was received from the Honourable Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation, with the NSP currently the only such project in Queensland to hold the designation.
Major Project Status is a significant milestone, recognising the NSP’s alignment with the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector in line with the Australian Critical Minerals Strategy. This acknowledges the opportunity for material regional economic growth for Far North Queensland, together with the complexity of the regulatory approvals required for the NSP at a national level.
Provision of Major Project Status allows Diatreme to access additional support from MPFA in coordinating and facilitating Federal Government approvals for the project. Principally, this consists of approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in relation to potential impacts to matters of national environmental significance (MNES). Diatreme is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for submission under the EPBC Act, seeking approval of the NSP as a controlled action.
Welcoming the decision, Diatreme’s CEO, Neil McIntyre commented: “The award of Major Project Status is an important recognition of the NSP’s strategic importance as both a world-class high purity silica resource, and its potential to directly contribute to the energy transition, specifically the globally important solar photovoltaic supply chain powering the clean energy revolution.
“The Major Project Status designation will assist us as we progress the NSP through the final permitting and development phases as we enter offtake negotiations and embark on assembling project financing together with our joint venture partner, global materials solutions provider Sibelco Asia Pacific.
“Creating a viable economic project that has clear community support and regional benefits whilst delivering strong returns for our shareholders has always been our goal and we are delighted by this Federal Government support at this key stage in the NSP’s development.”
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