Ella Bay Integrated Resort Coordinator-General’s report on the environmental impact statement November 2012 © State of Queensland. Published by Queensland Government, November 2012, 63 George Street, Brisbane Qld 4000. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of information. However, copyright protects this publication. 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. Copyright inquiries about this publication should be directed to [email protected] or in writing to: Administrator (Crown Copyright and Other IP), Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, PO Box 15517, City East, Qld 4002. 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 131 450 and ask them to telephone the Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning on 132 523. 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. 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. Contents Synopsis........................................................................................................vii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 2. About the project.................................................................................... 3 2.1. The proponent..........................................................................................3 2.2. Project description....................................................................................3 2.3. Project rationale .....................................................................................12 3. Impact assessment process ................................................................ 15 3.1. Overview ................................................................................................15 3.2. Significant project declaration ................................................................15 3.3. Controlled action ....................................................................................16 3.4. Terms of reference.................................................................................16 3.5. Review of the EIS...................................................................................16 3.6. Supplementary information ....................................................................18 4. Project approvals ................................................................................. 20 4.1. Local approvals ......................................................................................20 4.2. State approvals ......................................................................................20 4.3. Australian Government approvals..........................................................21 5. Environmental impacts......................................................................... 23 5.1. Social, economic and planning impacts .................................................23 5.2. Infrastructure impacts.............................................................................40 5.3. Fauna and flora ......................................................................................63 5.4. Acid sulfate soils ..................................................................................104 5.5. Weed and pest management ...............................................................105 5.6. Visual amenity......................................................................................107 5.7. Sustainability ........................................................................................109 6. Environmental management plan ...................................................... 111 6.1. Overview ..............................................................................................111 6.2. Coordinator-General’s conclusions ......................................................112 7. Matters of national environmental significance .................................. 113 7.1. Introduction ..........................................................................................113 7.2. Controlling provisions...........................................................................113 7.3. Assessment process ............................................................................114 7.4. Description of the proposed action.......................................................114 7.5. Places affected by the proposed action ...............................................116 7.6. World Heritage properties ....................................................................116 7.7. Listed threatened species and ecological communities .......................147 7.8. Offsets..................................................................................................179 8. Conclusion ......................................................................................... 181 Ella Bay Integrated Resort: Coordinator-General’s report on the environmental impact statement - iii - Appendix 1. Stated conditions .............................................................. 183 Appendix 2. Conditions to be attached to a development approval for the commencement of environmentally relevant activities ............................................................................ 199 Appendix 3. Proponent commitments ................................................... 207 Appendix 4. Outstanding universal values for the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area ..................................... 223 Appendix 5. Outstanding universal values for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area ................................................. 227 Appendix 6. Proposed vegetation clearing and offsets ......................... 231 Appendix 7. Machinery of government change..................................... 235 Acronyms and abbreviations ...................................................................... 237 Glossary ..................................................................................................... 239 Figures Figure 2.1 Project location (Longitude: 1728’S Latitude: 14604’E)........................4 Figure 2.2 Proposed project master plan ..................................................................6 Figure 2.3 Ella Bay Road proposed alignment..........................................................9 Figure 2.4 Proposed precinct staging......................................................................10 Figure 2.5 Proposed precinct staging plan..............................................................11 Figure 5.1 Approved erosion prone area widths at Ella Bay ...................................28 Figure 5.2 Proposed Ella Bay precinct plan ............................................................33 Figure 5.3 Proposed Ella Bay conservation zones..................................................35 Figure 5.4 Local area traffic management in Flying Fish Point ...............................43 Figure 5.5 Proposed wildlife fencing and accessibility through Ella Bay.................60 Figure 5.6 Conservation status of vegetation communities and clearing ................77 Figure 5.7 Proposed Ella Bay revegetation staging plan ........................................90 Tables Table 3.1 Overview of EIS process........................................................................15 Table 3.2 Public and agency comments received on the EIS................................17 Table 3.3 Public and agency comments recvied on the SEIS ...............................19 Table 5.1 Threatened fauna species identified during 2006 and 2008 surveys...................................................................................................64 Table 5.2 Threatened fauna not identified by surveys with the potential to occur ......................................................................................................65 Table 5.3 Threatened species identified in Queensland database search ............66 Table 5.4 Plant species in the Ella Bay area..........................................................71 Table 5.5 Regional ecosystems in the project area ...............................................73 Table 5.6 Cassowary habitat clearing and isolation...............................................79 Table 5.7 Regional ecosystems to be cleared on site (approximate) ....................85 Table 5.8 Regional ecosystems to be cleared for access road..............................86