Shell Australia LNG project (Formerly Arrow LNG Plant ...

1 Shell Australia LNG project (also known as Arrow LNG Plant ). coordinator - general 's evaluation report on the environmental impact statement September 2013. State of Queensland, Department State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, September, 2013, 100 George Street, Brisbane Qld 4000. ( Australia ). Licence: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY Australia licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit Enquiries about this licence or any copyright issues can be directed to the Senior Advisor, Governance on telephone (07) 3224 2085 or in writing to PO Box 15009, City East, Queensland 4002. Attribution: The State of Queensland, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of information. However, copyright protects this publication.

2 The State of Queensland has no objection to this material being reproduced, made available online or electronically but only if it is recognised as the owner of the copyright and this material remains unaltered. The Queensland Government is committed to providing accessible services to Queenslanders of all cultural and linguistic backgrounds. If you have difficulty understanding this publication and need a translator, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on telephone 131 450 and ask them to telephone the Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning on telephone (07) 3227 8548. Disclaimer: This report contains factual data, analysis, opinion and references to legislation. The coordinator - general and the State of Queensland make no representations and give no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose of such data, analysis, opinion or references.

3 You should make your own enquiries and take appropriate advice on such matters. Neither the coordinator - general nor the State of Queensland will be responsible for any loss or damage (including consequential loss) you may suffer from using or relying upon the content of this report. By using or relying on such information you agree to indemnify the coordinator - general and the State of Queensland against any loss arising out of or in relation to your use or reliance. An electronic copy of this report is available on the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning's website at To obtain a printed copy of this report, please contact us via the contact details provided at the end of this report. Contents 1. Introduction .. 1. 2. About the 2. The proponent ..2. project description ..2. project rationale ..7. 3. Impact assessment process.

4 8. Overview ..8. Coordinated project declaration ..9. Controlled Terms of reference ..9. Review of the EIS ..10. Additional information required ..11. Review of additional EIS information ..12. 4. project approvals .. 13. Local State approvals ..13. Australian Government 5. Land use .. 15. Context ..15. Relevant state and local government planning ..15. Tenure and ownership ..17. 6. Marine and coastal environment .. 18. Overview ..18. Existing Dredging ..23. Marine water quality impacts ..27. Marine habitats ..30. Marine fauna ..35. Cumulative impacts ..38. 7. Water 40. Surface Groundwater resources ..41. 8. Terrestrial flora and 45. Existing Terrestrial Terrestrial Shorebird ecology ..54. Weed and pest Shell Australia LNG project (also known as Arrow LNG Plant ): coordinator - general 's evaluation report on the environmental impact statement - iii - 9.

5 Curtis Island precinct .. 58. Overview ..58. Earthworks ..58. Noise and vibration ..60. Air quality ..61. Visual amenity and lighting ..63. Indigenous cultural Non-Indigenous cultural heritage ..66. Hazard and Natural hazards ..72. 10. Mainland 74. Overview ..74. Earthworks ..80. Hazard and Natural hazards ..82. Non-Indigenous cultural heritage ..82. 11. Traffic and 83. Road transport ..83. LNG, material and personnel Calliope River boat ramp ..87. 12. Greenhouse 89. Overview ..89. Operations ..90. coordinator - general 's 13. Offsets .. 93. Environmental offsets regulatory framework ..93. coordinator - general requirements and approval ..93. Proposed offsets strategy ..93. coordinator - general 's 14. Environmental management 97. Introduction ..97. Management plans ..97. coordinator - general 's 15. Social 100. Overview ..100. Government policy.

6 100. Social impact assessment ..102. Cumulative social impacts ..111. coordinator - general 's conclusion social impacts ..112. 16. Matters of national environmental significance .. 114. Shell Australia LNG project (also known as Arrow LNG Plant ): - iv - coordinator - general 's evaluation report on the environmental impact statement project assessment and approvals ..114. Description of the proposed Great Barrier Reef World Heritage property and National Heritage Threatened species and ecological communities ..140. Listed migratory species ..162. Cumulative impacts ..173. coordinator - general 's overall conclusions ..176. 17. Conclusion .. 177. Appendix 1. Imposed conditions .. 179. Appendix 2. Stated conditions .. 181. Appendix 3. coordinator - general 's recommendations .. 207. Appendix 4. Commitments register .. 213. Appendix 5. Social impact 250.

7 Appendix 6. World Heritage values for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage 288. Acronyms and abbreviations .. 291. Glossary .. 294. Figures Figure Site locality ..4. Figure Water quality sampling Figure Dredge site Figure Marine habitat distribution in Port Figure Field validated RE communities (Curtis Island)..45. Figure Field validated RE communities (mainland) ..46. Figure Records of water mouse activity adjacent to project area ..53. Figure Important shorebird habitats in and near Port Figure LNG Plant Figure LNG Plant fatality risk ..68. Figure Proposed feed gas pipeline alignment ..76. Figure Conceptual layout of tunnel launch Figure Mainland facilities options (services launch sites, laydown areas and TWAFs) ..79. Figure Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, marine parks and shorebird sites ..116. Figure Location of representative viewpoints within Port Curtis.

8 123. Figure Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia (critically endangered) communities on Curtis Island ..141. Figure Location of water mouse activity ..146. Figure Turtle nesting sites in the Gladstone region ..157. Figure Important shorebird habitats in and near Port Shell Australia LNG project (also known as Arrow LNG Plant ): coordinator - general 's evaluation report on the environmental impact statement -v- Tables Table Overview of EIS process ..8. Table Public and agency comments received on the EIS ..10. Table Queensland Water Quality Guideline values for waters in the project Table Dredging volumes as stated in EIS ..24. Table Estimated loss of marine habitats for project construction ..34. Table Endangered' RE to be cleared within the proposed project area (maximum) ..47. Table Of concern' REs to be cleared within the proposed project area (maximum).

9 47. Table Least concern' REs to be cleared within the proposed project area (maximum) ..48. Table EVNT species potentially occurring in the project area ..50. Table Direct and indirect construction greenhouse gas emissions ..90. Table Direct and indirect operations greenhouse gas emissions ..91. Table Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions ..92. Table Conservation status of habitats and species potentially impacted by the project ..94. Table Estimated type, number and frequency of marine vessels . peak construction ..118. Table Impacts and mitigation measures relevant to the Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia ..142. Table Threatened species likely to occur in the project area ..144. Table Impact and mitigation measures relevant to the water mouse ..149. Table Impact and mitigation measures relevant to the squatter Table Impacts and mitigation and management measures relevant to marine Table Migratory shorebirds and corresponding important habitat sites within Port Curtis.

10 163. Table Impact and mitigation measures relevant to migratory Table Impact and mitigation measures relevant to migratory terrestrial Table Impacts and mitigation measures relevant to migratory marine Shell Australia LNG project (also known as Arrow LNG Plant ): - vi - coordinator - general 's evaluation report on the environmental impact statement Synopsis The proponent, Arrow CSG ( Australia ) Pty Ltd ( Arrow ), proposes to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Curtis Island adjacent to Gladstone. It will utilise gas resources supplied from coal seam gas (CSG) developments in the Surat and Bowen basins in South East and Central Queensland. A proposed gas pipeline to Curtis Island will supply gas to the LNG Plant where it will be processed, cooled and stored in LNG. tanks for subsequent loading onto LNG carriers via a jetty and exported to international markets.