Asian Renewable Energy Hub: Marine State Waters Environmental Impact Assessment
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Asian Renewable Energy Hub: Marine State Waters Environmental Impact Assessment 1250_01_001/1 Rev 0 September 2018 P:\IntercontinentalEnergy\1250_01SubseaCableApp&Studies\001_OriginalScope\Reports\MarineImpactAssessment\HVDCCable_Sta teMarineEIA_Rev0_20180927.docm Asian Renewable Energy Hub: Marine State Waters Environmental Impact Assessment Prepared for NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd Prepared by BMT Western Australia Pty Ltd September 2018 Report No. 1250_01_001/1 Rev 0 Client: NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd Document history Distribution No. copies Revision Author Recipients Organisation Date & format NW Interconnected A Bevilaqua A Tancock A Power 1 x doc 20/10/17 R De Roach G Humphries Biota NW Interconnected R De Roach A Tancock B Power 1 x pdf 10/11/17 A Bevilaqua G Humphries Biota NW Interconnected A Tancock C A Bevilaqua Power 1 x pdf 11/09/18 G Humphries Biota NW Interconnected A Tancock 0 A Bevilaqua Power 1 x pdf 27/09/18 G Humphries Biota Review Revision Reviewer Intent Date A Tancock A First Draft, no review G Humphries No review, awaiting updates to be made A Tancock B in reference to the Environmental G Humphries Scoping Document C A Tancock Client review 11/09/18 Status This report is 'Draft' until approved for final release, as indicated below by inclusion of signatures from: (i) the author and (ii) a Director of BMT Western Australia Pty Ltd (BMT) or their authorised delegate. A Draft report may be issued for review with intent to generate a 'Final' version, but must not be used for any other purpose. Approved for final release: Author Director (or delegate) Date: 27/09/18 Date: 27/09/18 Disclaimer This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd, and is subject to and issued in accordance with the agreed terms and scope between NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd and BMT Western Australia Pty Ltd (BMT). BMT accepts no liability or responsibility for it in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. Copying this report without prior written consent of NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd or BMT is not permitted. © Copyright 2018 BMT Contents Acronyms ................................................................................................................................... ix 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 10 2. Project Description ......................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Specification for subsea cable installation in State Waters.............................. 12 3. Relevant Environmental Legislation and Approvals .................................................... 14 3.1 Decision-making authorities ............................................................................... 14 3.2 Relevant legislation and guidance material ....................................................... 14 3.2.1 Environmental Protection Act 1986 ..............................................................14 3.2.2 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) .........................................................................................14 3.2.3 Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 ...........................................15 3.2.4 Biodiversity Conservation Act 2018 .............................................................15 3.2.5 Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 .......................................................................16 3.2.6 Maritime Archaeology Act 1973 ...................................................................16 3.2.7 Biosecurity Act 2016 (Commonwealth) ........................................................16 3.2.8 Navigable Waters Regulations 1958 ............................................................16 3.2.9 Land Administration Act 1997 ......................................................................16 4. Marine Environmental Setting ........................................................................................ 17 4.1 Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park ........................................................................... 17 4.2 Physical environment .......................................................................................... 17 4.2.1 Climate ........................................................................................................17 4.2.2 Hydrodynamics ............................................................................................18 4.2.3 Geology and geomorphology .......................................................................20 4.3 Biological environment ....................................................................................... 20 4.3.1 Benthic primary producer habitat .................................................................20 4.3.2 Protected marine fauna ...............................................................................22 4.3.3 Protected avifauna .......................................................................................25 4.4 Social environment .............................................................................................. 25 4.4.1 Heritage and ethnography ...........................................................................25 4.4.2 Commercial and recreation ..........................................................................28 5. Marine Environmental Impact Assessment ................................................................... 29 5.1 Causes of potential environmental impact ........................................................ 29 5.1.1 Installation, maintenance and decommissioning of the cables .....................29 5.1.2 Operation of the cables................................................................................29 5.2 Relevant environmental factors and impact assessment ................................. 29 5.2.1 Environmental factors, values and objectives ..............................................29 5.2.2 Alignment with values and objectives of the Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park Management Plan ...............................................................................31 5.2.3 Potential for cumulative impacts ..................................................................32 5.3 Potential impacts on environmental factors ...................................................... 34 5.3.1 Benthic communities and habitats ...............................................................34 5.3.2 Coastal processes .......................................................................................34 5.3.3 Marine environmental quality .......................................................................34 5.3.4 Marine fauna ...............................................................................................36 BMT: NW Interconnected Power Pty Ltd: Asian Renewable Energy Hub: Marine State Waters Environmental Impact Assessment vii 5.3.5 Social surroundings and human health ........................................................ 39 5.3.6 Indigenous and non- indigenous heritage areas .......................................... 39 5.3.7 Fisheries – commercial and recreational ..................................................... 39 5.3.8 Maritime safety ............................................................................................ 39 6. Marine Environmental Management ...............................................................................40 7. References ........................................................................................................................44 List of Figures Figure 1.1 Proposed HDVC cable lay in Western Australian State Waters ............................11 Figure 2.1 Map of the cable corridor survey area (red box; ~2 km x 6 km) in State Waters from the lowest astronomical tide (dotted black line) ............................................13 Figure 4.1 Broome airport wind speed and direction and tropical cyclone tracks influencing the region ...........................................................................................18 Figure 4.2 LandSat imagery showing very high levels of turbidity throughout the study area......................................................................................................................19 Figure 4.3 Benthic habitat map of the cable lay corridor ........................................................21 Figure 4.4 Cetacean sightings north of Gourdon Bay in 2009 ...............................................24 Figure 4.5 Native title Determination Areas within and adjacent to Eighty Mile Beach and proposed cable corridor in State Waters (orange line) ..........................................26 Figure 4.6 Map showing lack of registered Aboriginal Sites in the region of the HVDC cable corridor .......................................................................................................27 Figure 4.7 Maritime heritage sites adjacent to the cable corridor survey area (red box; ~2 km x 6 km) in State Waters from the lowest astronomical tide (dotted black line) ......................................................................................................................27 Figure 5.1 Eighty Mile Marine Park Management Area Zoning (DPaW 2014) and proposed cable corridor in State Waters (orange line) ..........................................33 List of Tables Table 2.1 Coordinates of the cable