PUBLICATION DOCUMENTS DREDGING ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Ports Corporation of Queensland (PCQ) has published a report documenting the environmental management involved in the $70 million Port of Hay point departure path dredging project.
Substantially completed in October 2006, the major capital dredging works at the port have been recognised within environment and industry circles as being leading edge in environmental management initiatives of this type.
The project was located within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area and partially within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
A number of sensitive environmental habitats, including fringing coral reefs are located close to the port.
Initial capital dredging totalled almost 8.6 million cubic metres of seabed material.
Implementation of the project followed the completion of a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The development of these documents was undertaken in close partnership with approval agencies to ensure all environmental issues were addressed within the context of the project and sensitive environment in which it was to be undertaken.
The EMP outlined mitigation strategies to protect flora, fauna, water quality and cultural heritage. It also detailed the social, environmental and detailed integrated and innovative monitoring programs to be undertaken to assess potential environmental impacts and investigate long-term effects. It also formed the basis for approvals and management of the project.
The key regulators - DPI&F, EPA, QPWS, DEW and GBRMPA – provided the conditions of approval for the project and the implementation of an EMP was generally seen as a positive outcome of the integrated approval.
Water quality monitoring was primarily undertaken through the use of remotely accessed telemetry based water quality loggers.
The extent of the plume was tracked via satellite images. Aquatic biologists undertook diving surveys of coral communities on a fortnightly basis for the first eight weeks of the dredging, then monthly. Validation of the hydrodynamic model was conducted with water quality data obtained from field samples. The environmental technologies used for monitoring are considered best practice.
The EIS predicted about 20% coral mortality due to the project. However, dredging activities did not appear to have influenced the overall percentage coral cover at impact locations during dredging by more than 1%.
No marine fauna were harmed during the project.
Management of the dredging program was overseen by a Management Reference Group (MRG) comprising representatives of each of the approval agencies. Community representatives, who had been involved in the development of the EIS and EMP, were also kept informed through the Technical Advisory Consultative Committee.
Overall the project was able to be successfully undertaken and achieved the environmental goals set in the EIS and EMP with no significant environmental impact occurring.
The report is available at www.pcq.com.au.
ends
19 September 2007
Further details:
Bob Brunner
Environmental and Safety Manager
Ports Corporation of Queensland
Ph: (07) 3225 1035
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