The North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation and a consortium including Adani Mining and Dudgeon Point Project Management are proposing to build the terminal near the Port of Hay Point, 25km south of Mackay.

State development, infrastructure and planning minister and deputy premier Jeff Seeney said if it got the green light, the terminal would be a massive boost for the Queensland economy.

“If approval is granted, Dudgeon Point will become one of the largest ports in the world,” he said.

“It will open up Mackay to an international coal export market, hauling in billions of dollars for Queensland's economy.”

If approved, the Dudgeon Point terminal would create up to 1800 jobs during the six to eight-year construction period, in addition to about 640 jobs during operation.

The proposed terminal gained significant project status in late 2011, thus requiring local, state and federal approval.

Coordinator-general Barry Broe said the large-scale development would require an environmental impact statement to be prepared.

The EIS will consider the environmental, social and economic implications of the proposed terminal.

Broe stressed this part of the process did not indicate approval or support for the project.

“It means the project will be subject to a rigorous evaluation process that determines whether the environmental impacts are acceptable,” he said.

The Dudgeon Point terminal will involve the construction of two separate terminals, six rail loops and a rail connection to the Goonyella rail system with a rail overpass at Hay Point Road.

The draft terms of reference can be viewed online at http://projects.industry.qld.gov.au.

All public submissions must be in writing and received by the coordinator-general by 5pm on Monday, May 21, 2012.