Maintenance Dredging Strategy for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Ports
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To the best of our knowledge, the content was correct at the time of publishing. 2 MaintenanceMaintenance Dredging Dredging Strategy, Strategy, Transport Transport and and Main Main Roads, Roads, November August 2016 Photos supplied by: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Gladstone Ports Corporation North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Port of Townsville Limited Ports North Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd Maintenance Dredging Strategy, Transport and Main Roads, November 2016 3 4 Maintenance Dredging Strategy, Transport and Main Roads, November 2016 Foreword As a coastal state, Queensland is dependent The Queensland Government understands that sustainable on maritime trade, with ports being important Port development and maintenance is key to minimising gateways to international markets and environmental impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, and that such protection has value beyond conservation - it supports shipping vital to our economic activity. and stimulates economic activity nationally and in regional Ports are critical to Queensland’s supply chain and economy, Queensland. facilitating trade and the development of regional, state and This Maintenance Dredging Strategy (the Strategy) will provide national economies. More than $40 billion worth of exports is a transparent and consultative framework for sustainable, transported through our ports every year, providing jobs and leading practice management of maintenance dredging in income for many Queenslanders. GBRWHA ports to ensure their safe and effective operation, The majority of Queensland’s commodity exports are shipped and to contribute to securing the Reef’s health and resilience. through four major ports and six other trading ports located in The Strategy meets Queensland Government election the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA), which commitments and implements a key port-related action under was established in 1975 in recognition of the fact that the the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan), the Great Barrier Reef is the largest and one of the richest and most comprehensive plan ever developed to protect the Reef. most complex coral reef ecosystems on Earth. We have also made important progress by passing the The Great Barrier Reef is deeply connected with our national Sustainable Ports Development Act 2015 which restricts identity, and is one of the most inspiring of all our natural greenfield port development and bans sea-based disposal of icons. For millennia, Traditional Owners have fostered the port-related capital dredge material in the GBRWHA. cultural and natural heritage for which the Great Barrier Reef is recognised. We thank the Reef 2050 Advisory Committee and Independent Expert Panel, our ports and the Queensland Ports Association, Since its world heritage listing, the GBRWHA has been regulators, non-government organisations, community groups, managed as a multi-use area that supports a range of different other peak industry bodies, scientists and other stakeholders industries, while at the same time maintaining its Outstanding who all contributed to the Strategy’s development. Universal Value. Balancing economic growth while ensuring that our valuable The Reef’s tourism industry alone supports almost 70,000 full- environmental assets continue to be protected is complex. time jobs and contributes $5.2 billion a year to the Australian This Strategy provides the basis for a long-term framework to economy. It also provides thousands of jobs in recreation, ensure maintenance dredging of our ports does not threaten fishing, scientific research and management activities. the Reef’s Outstanding Universal Value. The Hon Mark Bailey MP The Hon Dr Steven Miles MP Minister for Main Roads, Minister for Environment and Road Safety and Ports and Heritage Protection and Minister Minister for Energy, Biofuels for National Parksand the Great and Water Supply Barrier Reef Maintenance Dredging Strategy, Transport and Main Roads, November 2016 5 Contents Executive summary 8 1. Introduction 12 1.1 Aim and objective of the Maintenance Dredging Strategy 12 1.2 What is ‘maintenance dredging’ 12 1.3 Development of the Maintenance Dredging Strategy 12 2. The Great Barrier Reef and managing pressures on its Outstanding Universal Value 14 2.1 The Reef 2050 Plan 14 3. Queensland ports and maintenance dredging 18 4. Current regulatory framework for maintenance dredging 20 4.1 International agreements 20 4.2 Australian Government responsibilities 20 4.3 State Government responsibilities 21 4.4 Regulatory framework 22 4.5 Current permitting processes 22 5. A management framework for maintenance dredging in the GBRWHA 26 5.1 Applying Reef 2050 Plan principles of decision-making 26 5.2 A risk-based approach to managing the impact of maintenance dredging 26 5.3 Long-term maintenance dredging management 27 6. Developing knowledge base 30 6.1 Sediment forecasting 30 6.1.1 Sediment sources 30 6.1.2 Sediment environment at ports 30 6.1.3 Sediment processes and dynamics 31 6.1.4 Historic volumes 32 6.2 Sediment effects on port operations 33 6.3 Environmental and social values assessment 33 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia (GBRMPA) 6 Maintenance Dredging Strategy, Transport and Main Roads, November 2016 7. Reviewing management options 34 Table of figures 7.1 Avoiding or reducing the need for maintenance Figure 1 Queensland Ports 19 dredging 34 Figure 2: Regulatory Framework/Key Legislation 7.1.1 GBR-wide context 34 Applying to Maintenance Dredging Activities 23 7.1.2 Port infrastructure planning 34 Figure 3 Legislative framework and permitting requirements for at sea disposal 24 7.1.3 Volume limits 35 Figure 4 Elements of Long-term Maintenance 7.1.4 Operational strategies to avoid or Dredging Management Framework 27 minimise maintenance dredging 36 Figure 5 Case Studies of Beneficial Reuse Options 7.2 Determining maintenance dredging for Dredge Material 39 requirements 37 Figure 6 Steps in Developing and Executing 7.3 Managing maintenance dredge material 37 the Annual state-wide Maintenance 7.3.1 Beneficial reuse 37 Dredging Program 48 7.3.2 Onshore placement of dredge material 40 Table of tables 7.3.3 At sea placement of dredge material 40 Table 1 Summary of key guiding principles 8. Selecting management options 42 and actions 10 8.1 Comparative analysis of management options 42 Table 2 Reef 2050 Plan actions to reduce the impact of ports and dredging 17 8.2 Developing Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plans 43 Table 3 Summary of Relative Importance of Processes Supplying Sediment to the Ports 8.2.1 Dredging equipment selection and in the GBRWHA 31 operational approaches 43 Table 4 Historic in-situ maintenance dredging 8.2.2 Identification of environmental windows 46 volumes (m3) at the ports located within 8.2.3 Cumulative impacts, offsets and the GRBWHA 32 providing net benefits 46 8.3 Regulatory approvals 46 9. Implementing management options 48 9.1 Executing approved solutions 48 9.2 Monitoring 49 9.3 Adaptive management 50 9.4 Reporting 50 10. Reviewing this Strategy’s effectiveness 52 Glossary 54 Maintenance Dredging Strategy, Transport and Main Roads, November 2016 77 Executive summary The aim of the Maintenance Dredging Strategy Protecting the Great Barrier Reef for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Ports The GBR was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 in (the Strategy) is to provide a framework for recognition of its OUV. The World Heritage Committee has considered sustainable, leading practice management of the state of conservation of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage maintenance dredging at ports in the Great Area since 2011. Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). It has recognised that Australia’s management of the GBRWHA The objective of the framework is to build on is in many respects international best practice, but made the current strong regulatory requirements and recommendations to further manage and protect the reef. ensure the ongoing protection of the Reef’s The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan) is the values and the continued operating efficiency Australian and Queensland Governments’ overarching framework for of ports within