Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd, Sunshine Quarry, Maydena, Environmental Impact Statement, Prepared by Van Diemen Consulting, Dated 8 March 2021
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Environmental Assessment Report Sunshine Quarry ML 2065P/M, Maydena Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd August 2021 Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 1 Environmental Assessment Report Proponent Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd Proposal Sunshine Quarry Location Maydena, mining lease 2065P/M NELMS no. PCE No. 10458 Permit Application No. DA30/2020 (Derwent Valley Council) Electronic Folder No. EN-EM-EV-DE-259945 Document No. D21-127936 Class of Assessment 2B Assessment Process Milestones 26 February 2020 Permit Application submitted to Council 22 June 2020 Application received by the Board 30 July 2020 Guidelines Issued 13 March 2021 Start of public consultation period 15 April 2021 End of public consultation period 25 April 2021 Additional supplementary information submitted to the Board 30 April 2021 Final supplementary information received 2 August 2021 Date draft conditions issued to proponent 17 June 2021 Statutory period for assessment ended Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 2 Acronyms Board Board of the Environment Protection Authority CFEV Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values (database) DPIPWE Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment EIA Environmental impact assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement EMPC Act Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 EMPCS Environmental management and pollution control system EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) FPA Forest Practices Authority FPP Forest Practices Plan LUPA Act Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 ML Mining Lease PID Property ID PPV Peak Particle Velocity PSV Polished Stone Value RMPS Resource management and planning system SD Sustainable development STT Sustainable Timber Tasmania TSPA Threatened Species Protection Act, 1995 Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 3 Report Summary This report provides an environmental assessment of the proposed Sunshine Quarry at Maydena by Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd (Gadtech). The proposal involves establishment and operation of a quarry (including blasting) and materials handling activity (crushing, screening) at mining lease 2065P/M, located approximately six kilometres north west of the township of Maydena on land managed by Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) and private freehold land. The quarry is proposed to extract and process up to 90,000 cubic metres of rock per annum (approximately equivalent to 144,000 tonnes). This report has been prepared based on information provided in the permit application, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and Supplement to the EIS. Relevant government agencies and the public were consulted, and their relevant submissions, representations and comments considered as part of the assessment. On 23 April 2021, the Deputy Director, EPA Tasmania under delegation from the Board of the Environment Protection Authority, requested that the proponent submit additional information to address issues raised during the public inspection period and to meet other information requirements. The proponent submitted satisfactory additional information on 25 April 2021, in the form of a Supplement to the EIS. Further relevant information (the Forest Practices Plan in place over the area proposed for extraction) was sought from the Forest Practices Authority/Sustainable Timber Tasmania. This information was received on 30 April 2021. Further details of the assessment process are presented in section 1 of this report. Section 2 describes the statutory objectives and principles underpinning the assessment. Details of the proposal are provided in section 3. Section 4 reviews the need for the proposal and considers the proposal, site, and design alternatives. Section 5 summarises the public and agency consultation process and the key issues raised in that process. The detailed evaluation of key issues is in section 6, and other issues are evaluated in section 7. Issues not assessed by the Board are listed in section 8 and discussed in Appendix 1. The report conclusions are contained in section 9. Appendix 2 contains details of matters raised by the public and referral agencies during the consultation process. Appendix 3 contains a table of proponent commitments. Appendix 4 contains the environmental permit conditions for the proposal. Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 4 Contents 1 Approval Process ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 SD Objectives and EIA Principles ............................................................................................................................... 2 3 The Proposal ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 4 Need for the Proposal and Alternatives .................................................................................................................. 9 5 Public and Agency Consultation ............................................................................................................................... 10 6 Evaluation of Key Issues ............................................................................................................................................. 12 6.1 Biodiversity and natural values ........................................................................................................................ 12 6.2 Geoconservation areas ...................................................................................................................................... 19 7 Other Issues assessed by the Board ........................................................................................................................ 21 8 Issues not assessed by the Board ............................................................................................................................. 31 9 Report Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 10 Report Approval ...................................................................................................................................................... 42 11 References ................................................................................................................................................................. 43 12 Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................ 44 Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 5 1 Approval Process An application for a permit under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 (LUPA Act) in relation to the proposal was submitted to Derwent Valley Council on 26 February 2020. The proposal is defined as a ‘level 2 activity’ under clause 5(a), and clause 6(a)(ii) of Schedule 2 of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPC Act), being a quarry and materials handling activity (involving crushing and screening of material extracted) extracting and processing up to 90,000 cubic metres per annum (approximately 144,000 tonnes). Section 25(1) of the EMPC Act required Council to refer the application to the Board of the Environment Protection Authority (the Board) for assessment under the Act. The application was received by the Board on 13 May 2020. While the permit application was initially submitted to Council in February 2020, Council required additional information and landholder consent prior to referral to the Board, which initially occurred in May 2020. However, further information was again required. A final revised, complete development application was referred to the Board on 22 June 2020. The Deputy Director has undertaken determination of the assessment under delegation from the Board. The Board required that information to support the proposal be provided in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), prepared in accordance with guidelines issued by the Board on 30 July 2020. Several drafts of the EIS were submitted to EPA Tasmania for review against the guidelines prior to finalisation and acceptance on behalf of the Board on 9 March 2021. The EIS was released for public inspection for a 28-day period commencing on 13 March 2021. Advertisements were placed in The Mercury and on the EPA website. The EIS was also referred to relevant government agencies for comment. No public representations were received. On 23 April 2021, the Deputy Director requested that the proponent submit additional information to address matters raised during the public and agency consultation period. Additional information was received from the proponent on 25 April 2021, and the final information required by the Request for Supplement was received from Sustainable Timber Tasmania on 30 April 2021. Environmental Assessment Report – Gadtech Materials Pty Ltd – Sunshine Quarry, Maydena 1 2 SD Objectives and EIA Principles The proposal must be considered by the Board in the context of the objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania (RMPS), and in the context of the objectives of the Environmental Management