Botany Bay Cable Project

Transcription

1 Botany Bay Cable Project SUBMISSIONS REPORT including PREFERRED PROJECT REPORT SEPTEMBER 2007 DON T DELETE THE THREE LINES BELOW (they control the headers and footers Botany Bay Cable Project Submissions Report EnergyAustralia

2 Endorsed by: Peter Stewart Title: Principal (Molino Stewart Pty Limited) Signed: Date: 19/9/2007 Endorsed by: Craig Moody Title: Executive Manager Major Projects & Engineering (EnergyAustralia) Signed: Date: 19/9/2007

3 Contents 1 Introduction Purpose of this report Background Overview of the Project The Proponent The Project The approval process Stakeholder consultation Structure of the Submissions Report 4 2 Consideration of the Environmental Assessment Statutory compliance Application of Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) Commonwealth environmental legislation State legislation Local, regional and state planning instruments Description of the Project Project requirements Cable laying (land based) Cable laying (sea based) Substation works Options considered Overview of environmental issues Traffic impacts Noise Aquatic ecology Sediment plumes Terrestrial flora and fauna Heritage Spoil management Potential Acid Sulphate Soils Surface and groundwater disposal/treatment Erosion control / sedimentation Safety and risks Marine movements Electric and magnetic fields Visual impacts 21 Botany Bay Cable Project Submissions Report i

4 Contents 3 Consideration of Submissions Overview Analysis of issues raised in submissions Responses to key issues raised in submissions Potential damage to the bed of Posidonia australis near Kurnell Benefits and disadvantages analysis Cumulative impacts EMF impacts Managing electricity demand Responses to individual submissions 46 4 Preferred Project Report Modifications to the Project Refinements and changes to the Project since exhibition of the Environmental Assessment Refinement 1 vertical route alignment under the shipping channel Refinement 2 - Horizontal route alignment through the seagrass bed at Silver, Beach, Kurnell Refinement 3 - Use of HDD as an option to avoid trenching through the seagrass bed at Silver Beach, Kurnell Refinement 4 - Oil retention tank at Kurnell STS site Refinement 5 - Removal of vegetation fronting Kurnell STS and swale relocated Environmental assessment of proposed refinements Refinement 1 Vertical route alignment under the shipping channel (deeper burial) Refinement 2 Horizontal route alignment through the seagrass bed at Silver, Beach, Kurnell (trenching though the SE corner of the Posidonia bed) Refinement 3 Use of HDD to avoid trenching through the seagrass bed at Silver Beach, Kurnell Refinement 4 Oil retention tank at Kurnell STS site (above ground oil containment system) Refinement 5 Removal of vegetation fronting Kurnell STS and swale relocated 75 5 Revised Statement of Commitments Mitigation measures Environmental management plan Stakeholder relations 85 6 Conclusion 86 ii EnergyAustralia

5 Appendices Appendix A - Director General s Requirements Appendix B - Copies of submissions from government agencies Number 6 Sydney Water Number 7 Department of Primary Industries Number 12 TransGrid Number 14 Randwick City Council Number 17 Sutherland Shire Council Number 21 NSW Health Number 22 Department of Environment and Climate Change Number 24 Sydney Ports Corporation Number 26 Rockdale City Council List of tables Table 1: Information requested by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Water Resources 6 Table 2: Summary of construction noise findings 16 Table 3: Issues summary (from a total of 26 submissions) 23 Table 4: Analysis of submissions and issues raised 24 Table 5: Possible targets for the sea grass management plan 35 Table 6: Trenching through the seagrasses at Kurnell analysis 38 Table 7: Use of HDD to manage seagrasses at Kurnell analysis 38 Table 8: Summary of refinements outlines in the Preferred Project Report 70 Table 9: Construction noise criteria at residences opposite Kurnell HDD site 74 List of figures Figure 1: Indicative cable route and location of Bunnerong and Kurnell STSs 9 Figure 2: Examples of land based trenching cable configuration 10 Figure 3: Cross section of the proposed cable route between Bunnerong STS and Kurnell STS (Refer to revised profile at shipping channel Section 4.1.2) 12 Figure 4: Artist s impression of proposed construction at Kurnell STS 13 Figure 5: Latest aerial showing changes to seagrass bed and proposed cable route 34 Figure 6: Examples of silt screens 35 Figure 7: Previous land based cable route from Bunnerong STS to Botany Bay 51 Figure 8: Proposed cable burial under shipping channel 71 Figure 9: Proposed HDD site 73 Botany Bay Cable Project Submissions Report iii