Nepean River Pump and Pipeline
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Penrith Lakes Development Corporation 13 March 2012 Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Study AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Study Prepared for Penrith Lakes Development Corporation Prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Level 21, 420 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000, PO Box Q410, QVB Post Office NSW 1230, Australia T +61 2 8934 0000 F +61 2 8934 0001 www.aecom.com ABN 20 093 846 925 13 March 2012 60221206 AECOM in Australia and New Zealand is certified to the latest version of ISO9001 and ISO14001. © AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (AECOM). All rights reserved. AECOM has prepared this document for the sole use of the Client and for a specific purpose, each as expressly stated in the document. No other party should rely on this document without the prior written consent of AECOM. AECOM undertakes no duty, nor accepts any responsibility, to any third party who may rely upon or use this document. This document has been prepared based on the Client’s description of its requirements and AECOM’s experience, having regard to assumptions that AECOM can reasonably be expected to make in accordance with sound professional principles. AECOM may also have relied upon information provided by the Client and other third parties to prepare this document, some of which may not have been verified. Subject to the above conditions, this document may be transmitted, reproduced or disseminated only in its entirety. P:\60221206_NRPP_Relocation\6. Draft docs\6.1 Reports\5. EIS Scoping Study\Final draft\NRPP EIS Scoping Study_130312.docx Revision D - 13 March 2012 AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Quality Information Document Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Ref 60221206 Date 13 March 2012 Prepared by Deborah Bowden, Elizabeth Thornton, Vanessa Organ° Reviewed by Scott Jeffries Revision History Authorised Revision Revision Details Date Name/Position Signature A 23-Dec-2011 Internal review Scott Jeffries Associate Director - Environment . B 16-Jan-2012 " Working draft for PLDC review Scott Jeffries Associate Director - Environment C 01-Mar-2012 Final draft for PLDC review Scott Jeffries Associate Director - Environment ..e.: D 13-Mar-2012 Final for lodgement with DP8d Scott Jeffries Associate Director - 4011114„,,,r.4 / Environment P:V60221206_NRPP_RelocationS6. Drat] docsS6.1 Reportsa EIS Scoping Studffinal draft1NRPP EIS Scoping Study_130312.docx Revision 0- 13 March 2012 AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Table of Contents Executive Summary i 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Background and context 1 1.2 Development overview 1 1.3 Development location 2 1.4 Development need and justification 2 1.5 Capital Investment Value 3 2.0 Development Description 7 2.1 The Development 7 2.1.1 Pumping station, pump and intake point 7 2.1.2 Pipeline 7 2.1.3 Water intake and discharge 7 2.1.4 Pumping rules and volume of water intake 7 3.0 Statutory Planning Considerations 10 3.1 Permissibility 10 3.2 Environmental Assessment Process 10 3.3 Environmental Planning Instruments 10 3.3.1 State Environmental Planning Policy (Penrith Lakes Scheme) 1989 10 3.3.2 Sydney Regional Environmental Plan No 20 (Hawkesbury-Nepean River) 11 3.3.3 State Environmental Planning Policy No. 55 11 3.3.4 Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 11 3.4 Strategic Land Use Planning 12 3.5 Other NSW Environmental Approvals 12 3.6 Commonwealth Environmental Approvals 13 3.6.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 13 4.0 Agency and Stakeholder Consultation 15 4.1 Consultation approach 15 4.2 Key activities 15 4.2.1 NSW Government agencies and other stakeholders 15 5.0 Identification of Key Issues 16 5.1 Approach to identification of key environmental issues 16 5.1.1 Environmental risk screening 16 5.1.2 Expected stakeholder issues 17 5.2 Identification of key environmental issues 17 6.0 Key Environmental Issues 20 6.1 Hydrology 20 6.1.1 Existing Environment 20 6.1.2 Issues for Consideration 21 6.1.3 Method for Assessment 21 6.2 Water Quality 22 6.2.1 Existing Environment 22 6.2.2 Issues for Consideration 23 6.2.3 Method for Assessment 23 6.3 Terrestrial and aquatic ecology 23 6.3.1 Existing Environment 23 6.3.2 Issues for Consideration 27 6.3.3 Method of Assessment 28 6.4 Indigenous heritage 28 6.4.1 Existing Environment 28 6.4.2 Issues for Consideration 30 6.4.3 Method of Assessment 30 6.5 Non-Indigenous heritage 30 6.5.1 Existing Environment 30 6.5.2 Previous Heritage Assessments 31 6.5.3 Issues for Consideration 31 P:\60221206_NRPP_Relocation\6. Draft docs\6.1 Reports\5. EIS Scoping Study\Final draft\NRPP EIS Scoping Study_130312.docx Revision D - 13 March 2012 AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline 6.5.4 Method of Assessment 32 7.0 Other Environmental Issues 33 7.1 Land use 33 7.1.1 Existing Environment 33 7.1.2 Issues for Consideration 33 7.1.3 Method of Assessment 33 7.2 Landscape and visual amenity 33 7.2.1 Existing Environment 33 7.2.2 Issues for Consideration 34 7.2.3 Method of Assessment 34 7.3 Topography, geology and soils 34 7.3.1 Existing Environment 34 7.3.2 Issues for Consideration 35 7.3.3 Method of Assessment 35 7.4 Noise and vibration 35 7.4.1 Existing Environment 35 7.4.2 Issues for Consideration 36 7.4.3 Method of Assessment 36 7.5 Air quality 36 7.5.1 Existing Environment 36 7.5.2 Issues for Consideration 36 7.5.3 Method of Assessment 37 7.6 Waste 37 7.6.1 Existing Environment 37 7.6.2 Issues for Consideration 37 7.6.3 Method of Assessment 38 8.0 Conclusions 39 9.0 References 40 P:\60221206_NRPP_Relocation\6. Draft docs\6.1 Reports\5. EIS Scoping Study\Final draft\NRPP EIS Scoping Study_130312.docx Revision D - 13 March 2012 i AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline Executive Summary This Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Study is submitted on behalf of Penrith Lakes Development Corporation in support of a development application for the construction and operation of a pumping station and pipeline (the Development) to pump water from the Nepean River to the lakes of the Penrith Lakes Scheme. The objective of the Development is to allow the extraction of water from the Nepean River to discharge into the Penrith Lakes Scheme to enable initial filling of the lakes as well as securing a long-term water supply, to maintain water levels in the lakes. The Development would be submitted under Division 4.1, Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 as a State Significant Development. A project application was previously submitted and approved in 2007 under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 for a pump and pipeline at a different location to that proposed for this development. The previous approved location has since been reviewed due to the Western Sydney Recycled Water Initiative – Replacement Flows Project. A new location was determined to be more suitable following changes since the 2007 approval. The 2007 Part 3A approval will lapse in 2012. The Development The Development to be assessed would involve the construction of a pumping station, motor control centre and up to 150 m of pipeline from the Nepean River to the discharge point on Penrith Lakes Development Corporation land. From the discharge point the water would filter through a constructed wetland into the lakes system. The detailed design of the wetlands will form part of the PLDC two-year plan approval process. Key Environmental Issues The key environmental issues associated with the Development would include: - Hydrological regime and water quality of Nepean River and Penrith Lakes Scheme; - Terrestrial and aquatic ecology; and - Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage. Other environmental issues that would be considered in the Environmental Impact Statement but are not considered to be key environmental assessment issues include land use, landscape and visual amenity, topography, geology and soils, noise and vibration, and waste. As part of the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement, studies would be carried out to assess the potential environmental impacts of the Development and to identify mitigation and management measures to minimise impacts on the environment during construction and operation of the Development. The preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement would include consultation with key stakeholders, including State government agencies, and the local community as required. P:\60221206_NRPP_Relocation\6. Draft docs\6.1 Reports\5. EIS Scoping Study\Final draft\NRPP EIS Scoping Study_130312.docx Revision D - 13 March 2012 1 AECOM Nepean River Pump and Pipeline 1.0 Introduction Penrith Lakes Development Corporation (PLDC) is seeking approval for the construction and operation of a pumping station and pipeline to extract water from the Nepean River and discharge it into the Penrith Lakes Scheme (PLS) (the Development). The Development would provide the infrastructure required to pump water from the Nepean River to initially fill the lakes within the PLS and to maintain ongoing lake water levels. The PLS is located on 1,935 ha of the Cumberland floodplain on the banks of the Nepean River, to the north-west of the Penrith Central Business District (CBD), and approximately 55 km to the west of the Sydney CBD (Figure 1.1) (PLDC, 2007). PLDC and the concept of the PLS was established in 1980, comprising an alliance between the companies originally mining in the area. Since the establishment of the PLS, sand and gravel mining in the area has provided approximately 50% of Sydney’s sand and aggregate requirements, with approximately nine million tonnes of raw material remaining to be extracted (PLDC, 2012).