PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has announced a shortlist of companies to tender for the development of the A$25-billion Aurukun bauxite deposit, in Cape York.

The Queensland government called for expressions of interest to develop the deposit in November last year, and Australia’s largest aluminium maker Cape Alumina partnered with Asian diversified commodities trader Noble Group and Qube Bulk to lodge an expression of interest.

The Cape Alumina consortium was one of five groups on the shortlist along with the Aluminium Corporation of China, Australian Indigenous Resources, Glencore International and Rio Tinto Aluminium.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the development of the Aurukun bauxite resource was essential to the creation of a vibrant economic future for the Aurukun community, native titleholders and all Queenslanders.

“The [Anna] Bligh government’s failed strategy of demanding the establishment of a refinery made development of the resource uneconomic. We want to ensure the economic benefits of this resource flow back into the Aurukun community. We will see these benefits through mining jobs and improvements to infrastructure and further benefits through businesses that could be established in Aurukun to service the mine,” he said.

The five shortlisted companies would now have until mid-September to submit their detailed proposals for the mine to the government for evaluation, with Seeney saying the government was working towards a final decision on a preferred proponent by year’s end.

He noted that the commercial terms were based on the state’s key objectives for the development, namely that the project should maximise the benefits and returns from the project to the native titleholders – the Wik and Wik Way people represented by the Ngan Aak-Kunch Aboriginal Corporation – and the Aurukun Shire Council.

“Our key objectives are to maximise the benefits and returns from the mine to the native titleholders and the Aurukun community and to maximise the financial returns to Queensland.”

Cape Alumina MD Graeme Sherlock said on Tuesday that the consortium was best placed to ensure the timely development of the Aurukun deposit and deliver substantial social, environmental and economic benefits to the state, as well as to the local indigenous community.

“Cape Alumina is a home-grown Queensland-based resources company and Noble Group and Qube Bulk are internationally recognised leaders in their field. Each consortium member is committed to and capable of making a valuable contribution to the project.”