The draft terms of reference for the preparation of an environmental impact statement will be available later this week.

There has already been controversy about Northern Territory Iron Ore’s proposal to re-open the Roper River mine.

The Roper River mine was owned by Sherwin Iron when iron ore prices dipped below $US90 per tonne in 2014 and sent the company into administration and ultimately liquidation.

In 2016 liquidators struck a sale agreement for Roper River with UAE company Al Rawda Resources.

According to the Financial Review, after initially agreeing to pay $1.07 million for the mine, Al Rawda's Australian subsidiary requested a variation to the deal, and eventually settled the transaction for just under $1 million, with $703,175 of that being lodged as an environmental bond.

The Australian subsidiary of Al Rawda has since renamed itself Northern Territory Iron Ore, and names Perth businessman William Mackenzie among its directors.

Roper River was originally discovered by BHP Billiton in the 1950s, and is located close to the Roper Bar iron ore mine, which is also in the hands of receivers after the collapse of Western Desert Resources.

There are concerns about a plan to barge the iron ore to bulk carriers in the Gulf via barges on the Roper River.

The draft terms of reference will be available from October 21.

Submissions close on Friday, November 3.