Kendall Bay Sediment Remediation Project: Community Information and Feedback Session
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Kendall Bay Sediment Remediation Project: Community Information and Feedback Session Summary of Outcomes Report Summary of Outcomes Report 29 July 2014 URBIS STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPORT WERE: Director Susan Rudland Senior Consultant Col Mackin Graduate Consultant Elizabeth Robertson Job Code SPP20813 Report Number Outcomes report Urbis’s Public Policy team has received ISO 20252 Certification for the provision of public policy research and evaluation, social planning, community consultation, market research and communications research © Urbis Pty Ltd ABN 50 105 256 228 All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced without prior permission. You must read the important disclaimer appearing within the body of this report. URBIS Australia Asia Middle East urbis.com.au TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2 2 Overview of the process ................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Community Information and Feedback Session (CIFS) .................................................................... 3 3 Summary of Feedback .................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Participation ....................................................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Feedback received ............................................................................................................................ 5 4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Appendix A Newspaper Advertisement Appendix B Display Panels Appendix C Recent Newsletters – May and July Appendix D Presentation Appendix E Feedback from the public meeting Appendix F Feedback Form Appendix G Event Photos TABLES: Table 1 – Feedback received via feedback forms ......................................................................................... 7 URBIS CIFS JULY 2014 OUTCOMES REPORT_FINAL 1 Introduction Jemena is required to undertake sediment remediation in Kendall Bay, New South Wales. Sediments within Kendall Bay have been impacted with the by-products of the former gas works facility operated by AGL at its Mortlake site (now known as Breakfast Point). The remediation of Kendall Bay is required by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to address health and environmental risks posed by contamination, via a Voluntary Remediation Agreement signed by AGL in 2004. When the AGL Group was split up in late 2006, Jemena inherited the Group’s obligations with the NSW EPA. The sediment remediation project is informed by due diligence studies, technical analysis, and community and stakeholder consultation. Community and stakeholder consultation includes: . A community consultation website – www.kendallbayremediation.com.au . A project 1800 number and email address . Community newsletters . Community surveys . Stakeholder briefings . Community meetings . Community information and feedback sessions . A Community Liaison Group. The latest Community Information and Feedback Session (CIFS) was held on 29 July 2014. It aimed to: . Display factual information regarding the proposed remediation works . Provide an informal one-to-one opportunity for individuals to ask questions of the project team and consultants and clarify concerns . Invite questions and responses in a formal meeting format . Invite and collate feedback and comment. This report documents the session and a summary of feedback received through feedback forms. URBIS 2 CIFS JULY 2014 OUTCOMES REPORT_FINAL 2 Overview of the process 2.1 COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSION (CIFS) The Session was held on Tuesday, 29 February 2014, from 4pm – 9pm at the Massey Park Golf Club, Concord. There were three components: . A pre-CIFS session with invited government representatives from 4pm – 4.30pm . A drop-in information display and feedback session between 4.30pm – 7.30pm (participants to come at any time, view the display and ask questions of the project team one-to-one) . A formal presentation from Jemena and technical consultants, ERM, and a facilitated Q&A session between 7.30 – 9.00pm. Attendance at either or both of the public components was open to all community members. The event was promoted through: . A community newsletter – to a catchment of 4,400 local homes and businesses in Breakfast Point, Mortlake, Cabarita and Concord on 19 July 2014 . The project website homepage www.kendallbayremediation.com.au . Email invites sent to a stakeholder database of community members who registered for updates at past consultation events, community groups and local businesses . Email invites sent to members of the Kendall Bay Community Liaison Group . Advertisement in the Burwood Scene, circulation – 65,000 (refer to Appendix A) . A letter invitation to government stakeholders – the Mayor, Councillors, the Facilities Management Officer, Director of Planning, the Manager of Health, Building and Environment at Canada Bay Council, the Special Project Manager for Contaminated Sites from the Environmental Protection Agency and local State and Federal Members of Parliament. At the session, information about the project was available in a number of formats, including: . A1 information display panels (refer to Appendix B) . Display panels printed in A4 booklet handouts (refer to Appendix B) . A4 copies of the most recent community newsletters (refer to Appendix C) . A PowerPoint presentation (refer to Appendix D). Feedback boxes were provided around the room where people could post questions and comments. None were received. URBIS CIFS JULY 2014 OUTCOMES REPORT_FINAL 3 The Session was attended by: NAME COMPANY Ian Israelsohn, General Manager, Policy & External Affairs Jemena Tyrone Singleton, Manager, Environmental Performance, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Jemena Jeff Williams, Project Manager Jemena Madhvi Betigeri, Senior Advisor Environment and Contaminated Land Jemena Katrina Summersett, Manager, Environmental Strategy, Reporting and Assurance Jemena Adam Coburn, Principal Planner ERM Susan Rudland, Colin Mackin and Elizabeth Robertson, Community Consultation Team Urbis Participants could provide feedback direct to the consultation team and project consultants, and in a formal feedback form offered to all and available on the project website. There was an option to hand in the feedback form on the night or to take a reply paid envelope and send the form back. URBIS 4 CIFS JULY 2014 OUTCOMES REPORT_FINAL 3 Summary of Feedback 3.1 PARTICIPATION A total of 28 people attended the drop-in session, and 24 people (18 of which were not currently on our stakeholder database) provided their contact details for future project information and updates. The majority of those who provided their contact details came from the Breakfast Point or Cabarita areas with the remainder from the Mortlake, Concord and Kendall Inlet areas. Participants spent varying lengths of time at the session. During the pre-CIFS briefing session, three government representatives were present. These were the Manager Statutory Planning of City of Canada Bay Council, the State Member of Parliment and an EPA representative. Approximately 13 community members stayed on or arrived for the formal presentation and these people have mostly all attended previous forums. The State member, an EPA government representative and 2 Thiess employees also attended the public presentation. People were offered a feedback form with a reply paid envelope, to provide feedback on the evening or at a later date. One completed form was received at the event and five were posted after the event. One email was received providing positive feedback on the session. No questions were lodged in the question boxes on the night, rather, many questions were asked of the staff during the drop-in session and also during the formal meeting. All questions have been integrated into the Issues and Response Log uploaded to the project website (www.kendallbayremediation.com.au). 3.2 FEEDBACK RECEIVED A range of views were expressed during the evening about a variety of issues. Some people questioned the need for remediation and wanted more detail on the proposed timing of the project. People also asked questions about the functionality and appearance of both the Bay and the Tennyson Road site at the conclusion of the project. Some attendees were interested in further matters including providing site security, facilitating scout involvement in the mangrove remediation and enquiring about potential remediation of nearby residential land. Participants during the drop-in session wanted to know: . how does the Water Treatment Plant work and how is the water separated and returned . when did the Tennyson Road site become available . how will the site at Tennyson Road be used after project completion . the number of trucks and the traffic counts . the options for remediating around the mangroves and when will this occur . when the project works will commence A number of concerns were raised during the public meeting, including reporting on the process of examining alternative sites for the treatment and transport of sediment. Concern over traffic generation and noise levels also generated questions. Questions regarding ecology focused around the