POTENTIAL environmental impacts from Esso Australia’s planned dismantling of decommissioned gas and oil rigs at Barry Beach Marine Terminal prompted probing questions from Stan Woodhouse of
Friends of the Earth, with responses provided at Wednesday’s South Gippsland council meeting.
Mr Woodhouse stated that council has previously voiced support for the project and the use of the port on the proviso that a rigorous environmental impact study demonstrates any impacts to the natural surrounds could be effectively managed, and taking account of appropriate community engagement.
He posed the following questions.
“Considering the community concerns surrounding Esso Australia’s planned actions and (council’s) commitment to a rigorous environmental impact study, will council be pushing for the proposed activity to be declared a controlled action under the EPBC Act and will council be demanding an environmental impact study?”
The EPBC Act is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, with a controlled action being declared when a proponent’s proposed action has or will have a significant impact on
protected matters.
Should a controlled action be declared, further assessment will be required, with the matter to be subject to a ministerial decision.
Mayor John Schelling responded to Stan’s questions.
“Council understands the current EPBC Act process being undertaken by Esso Australia is assessed by the Australian Government; the process undertakes an environmental impact assessment undertaken by the proponent,” he said.
“Council has been informed of the proposed oil and gas decommissioning project at Barry Beach Marine Terminal, and (council) officers and the operators of the Terminal remain engaged in active discussions with respect to future operations on the land and the need for relevant approvals.
“Council will ensure that any future planning permit applications are in accordance with any decision made by the Australian Government in relation to this matter.”
As previously reported in the Sentinel-Times, Esso Australia made a ‘referral’ relating to the establishment of an Onshore Reception Centre (ORC) at Barry Beach Marine Terminal, stage one of its decommissioning campaign.
The referral is a requirement under the EPBC Act, with anyone whose project could impact any matters protected under that Act needing to submit a referral.
A referral is a written request for the Environment Minister to decide whether the action proposed needs assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.
Birdlife Australia made a submission in response to Esso’s referral, arguing the company’s proposed action should be declared unacceptable under the EPBC Act, stating it is likely to have significant and unacceptable impacts on ‘matters of national environmental significance’.
“The proposed action will likely disturb roosting habitat, roosting patterns and assemblages of a wide range of migratory shorebird species, including threatened species within the Corner Inlet Ramsar site,” the submission states, offering the Far Eastern Curlew as one such threatened species.
Birdlife Australia’s submission noted that Barry Point, adjacent to the southern boundary of the proposed project area, is a significant roosting site for migratory and resident shorebirds, outlining concerns that increased levels of noise, light and dust may lead to site abandonment by disturbed birds.
