Santos GLNG Gas Field Development project
Coordinator-Generals evaluation report on the environmental impact statement
December 2015
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Santos GLNG Gas Field Development project Coordinator-Generals evaluation report on the environmental impact statement - ii -
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Contents Synopsis ..................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 2. About the project ............................................................................................... 1
2.1 The proponent ............................................................................................ 1 2.2 Project description ...................................................................................... 1 2.3 Project rationale .......................................................................................... 7
3. Environmental impact statement assessment process .................................. 8 3.1 Coordinated project declaration .................................................................. 8 3.2 Commonwealth assessment ....................................................................... 8 3.3 Terms of reference ..................................................................................... 9 3.4 Review of the EIS ....................................................................................... 9 3.5 Additional information to the EIS ............................................................... 12
4. Project approvals ............................................................................................. 12 4.1 Statutory approvals ................................................................................... 12 4.2 Environmental management plans ............................................................ 16
5. Matters of national environmental significance ............................................ 18 5.1 Assessment methodology ......................................................................... 18 5.2 Wetlands of international importance (sections 16 and 17B) ..................... 26 5.3 Listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) .......... 26 5.4 Listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A) ........................................ 57 5.5 Protection of water resources from CSG development and large coal mining development (sections 24D and 24E) ..................................................... 61 5.6 Ecologically sustainable development .................................................... 109 5.7 Coordinator-Generals conclusion ........................................................... 110
6. Evaluation of environmental impacts ........................................................... 110 6.1 Matters of state environmental significance ............................................ 110 6.2 Land use, disturbance and rehabilitation ................................................. 123 6.3 Greenhouse gas emissions .................................................................... 135 6.4 Air quality ................................................................................................ 138 6.5 Noise and vibration ................................................................................. 141 6.6 Waste ..................................................................................................... 146 6.7 Traffic and transport ................................................................................ 149 6.8 Hazard and risk ...................................................................................... 153 6.9 Cultural heritage ..................................................................................... 156 6.10 Social impacts ........................................................................................ 158 6.11 Economic impacts .................................................................................. 169
7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 173 Appendix 1. Stated conditions ...................................................................... 175 Appendix 2. Coordinator-Generals recommendations ............................... 217 Appendix 3. Imposed conditions .................................................................. 219
- iii - Santos GLNG Gas Field Development project
Coordinator-Generals evaluation report on the environmental impact statement
Appendix 4. Proponent commitments .......................................................... 221 Appendix 5. MNES cross reference tables ................................................... 225 Acronyms and abbreviations ................................................................................. 413 Glossary .................................................................................................................. 416
Figures Figure 2.1 GFD project area and primary infrastructure ............................................. 3 Figure 2.2 Schematic of gas gathering, transmission, compression and treatment .... 4 Figure 2.3 A typical Santos GLNG well lease area .................................................... 4 Figure 5.1 Location of Surat Cumulative Management Area and GFD project area . 65 Figure 5.2 Regional hydrostratigraphy ..................................................................... 67 Figure 5.3 Spatial distribution of registered landholder bores and their use ............. 70 Figure 5.4 Areas of groundwater impact under the UWIR and EIS scenarios .......... 81 Figure 5.5 Great Artesian Basin springs at risk of impacts ...................................... 86 Figure 5.6 Sub-catchments studied in the GFD project area ................................. 101 Figure 6.1 Land tenure in the GFD project area .................................................... 125 Figure 6.2 GFD project disturbance lifecycle ......................................................... 132 Figure 6.3 GFD project rehabilitation framework and objectives ............................ 134 Figure 6.4 Preliminary estimate of construction workforce ..................................... 170 Figure 6.5 Preliminary estimate of operations workforce ....................................... 171
Tables Table 3.1 Summary of public and agency submissions on the EIS ......................... 10 Table 4.1 Approval conditions sought from this Coordinator-Generals report ........ 12 Table 4.2 Subsequent approvals potentially required for the GFD project .............. 13 Table 4.3 GFD project management plans and strategies ...................................... 17 Table 5.1 Permitted activities in each constraint area............................................. 22 Table 5.2 GFD project activity descriptions ............................................................ 22 Table 5.3 Constraint categories within the GFD project area .................................. 23 Table 5.4 Brigalow TEC in the GFD project area .................................................... 28 Table 5.5 Coolibah Black Box Woodland TEC in the GFD project area ............... 31 Table 5.6 Semi-evergreen vine thickets TEC in the GFD project area .................... 34 Table 5.7 Natural Grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the northern
Fitzroy Basin TEC in the GFD project area .........................
