Foxleigh

The Foxleigh open cut coal mine in the Bowen Basin region of Central Queensland is located 12 kilometres from Middlemount and 230 kilometres south west of Mackay. It creates employment for around 250 people and has mining licences covering close to 5,000 hectares as well as exploration permits within surrounding mining leases.

Anglo American Hold 70 Percent Interest in the Foxleigh Open cut Coal Mine
Mining company Anglo American owns 70 percent of the Foxleigh mining operation along with steel manufacturing companies POSCO (20 percent) and Nippon Steel (10 percent). Anglo American is the mine operator.

Foxleigh Coal is Exported Around the World
The Foxleigh mine produces about 2.5 million tonnes of PCI (pulverised coal injection) coal a year for the steel and iron manufacturing industry, although it has a production capacity of 3.3 million tonnes. The coal mined at the Foxleigh mine is transported 280 kilometres by rail to the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal from where it is exported to steel manufacturers in South America, Europe, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.

Low ash Content Makes Foxleigh Coal a Preferred Choice of World Steel Makers
Foxleigh ROM (run-of-mine) coal contains around 15 percent ash and it yields over 90 percent coal after being washed, as this reduces the ash content to just 8.0 percent. This low ash and high calorific value of the PCI coal it produces makes it a preferred choice of fuel used in blast furnaces world wide. The Foxleigh Mine has a coal resource of about 290 million tonnes and further exploration is ongoing.

Foxleigh was Initially a Thiess and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Joint Venture
The Foxleigh mine was originally mined under a life of mine contract between mining contractor Thiess in conjunction with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation (ATSICDC). Thiess began coal production at the mine in early 2000 after constructing 16 kilometres of coal haulage road and a six kilometre access road. The Thiess and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation partnership maximised the employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal people living in the area surrounding the mining operation. The Foxleigh Aboriginal training program was aimed at training Aboriginal employees to the nationally accepted qualifications standard required under the Black Coal Mine Training Packages.

The Foxleigh mine management and the traditional owners of the land on which the mine is sited, the Barada Barna Kabalbara Yetimarla people, have agreed to a Cultural Heritage Management Plan governing the mining leasehold area.

Most Foxleigh Workers Reside at Middlemount
Most of the people employed at the Foxleigh open cut coal mine live in Middlemount, a town of around 3,000 people with first class facilities. It has primary schools and a high school along with sporting venues that cater for tennis, squash, golf and rugby league, as well as water skiing on the Bundoora Dam. The Foxleigh mine management also nurtures the relationships it has built within the town of Middlemount. In 2007 it invested over $100 million in the Middlemount community.
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