PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT BLACKMORE RIVER (EAST) AQUACULTURE PROJECT MIDDLE ARM, DARWIN HARBOUR NORTHERN TERRITORY for Phelps
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PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT BLACKMORE RIVER (EAST) AQUACULTURE PROJECT MIDDLE ARM, DARWIN HARBOUR NORTHERN TERRITORY for Phelps/Panizza Holdings URS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD Level 1, Arkaba House, The Esplanade Ref: 43817- 002- 073 Darwin NT 0800 March 2001 Tel: 08 8981 2195 Fax: 08 8941 3920 A.B.N. 46 000 691 690 Blackmore River (East) Aquaculture Project Public Environmental Report Public Comment Invited The Phelps/Panizza Holdings proposes to construct an aquaculture farm at a site east of the Blackmore River on Middle Arm Peninsula to grow and process black tiger prawns. In accordance with the provisions of the Northern Territory Environmental Assessment Act (1982), a Public Environmental Report (PER), which describes the project proposal and its potential environmental effects has been prepared by URS Australia Pty Ltd. This document will be available for Public Review for a four week period from Saturday, 7 April 2001 to Friday, 4 May 2001. During this period the PER and appendices for this proposal can be examined at the following locations: · Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, Ground Floor, Cavenagh House, 38 Cavenagh, Darwin. · State Reference Library, Parliament House, Darwin. · Darwin City Library, Harry Chan Avenue, Darwin. · Casuarina Public Library, Bradshaw Terrace, Darwin. · Palmerston Town Council Library, Civic Plaza, cnr University Avenue and Chung Wah Terrace, Palmerston. · Litchfield Shire Offices, 7 Bees Creek Road, Bees Creek. The full PER and appendices can be purchased for $85.00 and the PER without appendices on CD-ROM can be purchased for $22.00 from: URS Australia Pty Ltd, 1st Floor, Arkaba House, The Esplanade, Darwin, Northern Territory, 0800 The PER excluding appendices can be viewed on the Internet for the duration of the public review period at http://www.lpe.nt.gov.au/eia. Interested persons and organisations wishing to make comment on the PER for the Blackmore River (East) Aquaculture Project are invited to make written submissions by the close of business on Tuesday, 8 May 2001, to: Ms Lisa Banks Environment and Heritage Division Department of Lands, Planning and Environment GPO Box 1680 DARWIN NT 0801 Fax: 8924 4053 Email: [email protected] Public Environmental Report March 2001 Blackmore River (East) Aquaculture Development Page i for Phelps/Panizza Holdings TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. I 1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT.......................................................................... 1 1.2 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE.................................................................................... 1 1.3 STUDY TEAM ........................................................................................................ 1 1.4 PROOF OF LEASE AND OTHER AUTHORISATIONS ........................................ 2 1.5 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION.................................................................................... 2 1.6 PROJECTED MARKETS ........................................................................................ 3 1.7 ECONOMIC IMPACTS........................................................................................... 3 1.7.1 Development and Construction......................................................................3 1.7.2 Employment .................................................................................................4 1.7.3 Operational Expenditure...............................................................................4 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT........................................................5 2.1 SITE DESCRIPTION............................................................................................... 5 2.2 SITE SELECTION................................................................................................... 5 2.3 PROJECT SCHEDULE............................................................................................ 6 2.4 PROJECT LAYOUT ................................................................................................ 7 2.5 MAJOR COMPONENTS......................................................................................... 8 2.5.1 Pump Jetty and Supply Channel....................................................................8 2.5.2 Production Ponds..........................................................................................9 2.5.3 Saltwater Settling, Storage and Supply Channel ..........................................10 2.5.4 Freshwater Storage Dam.............................................................................10 2.5.5 Finn Road Access through Stage 2 Freshwater Dam....................................12 2.5.6 Exchange Water Treatment Ponds...............................................................12 2.5.7 Solids Desalination Bays and Pasture..........................................................13 2.5.8 Buildings....................................................................................................13 2.5.9 Roads.........................................................................................................14 2.6 EXTRACTIVE MATERIALS ................................................................................ 15 2.6.1 Soil Suitability............................................................................................15 2.6.2 Volumes .....................................................................................................16 2.7 PROPOSED OPERATIONS .................................................................................. 16 2.7.1 Species .......................................................................................................16 2.7.2 Sources of Juvenile Prawns.........................................................................17 2.7.3 Stocking Rates............................................................................................17 2.7.4 Farming Techniques ...................................................................................18 2.7.5 Harvest ......................................................................................................20 2.7.6 Processing and Packaging...........................................................................20 2.7.7 Water Supply .............................................................................................20 2.7.7.1 Water input to production ponds................................................ 20 2.7.7.2 Water output from production ponds ......................................... 23 2.7.7.3 Estimated production water requirements................................... 23 Ref: PPH Blackmore PER URS (Australia) Pty Ltd Public Environmental Report March 2001 Blackmore River (East) Aquaculture Development Page ii for Phelps/Panizza Holdings 2.7.7.4 Water management.................................................................... 24 2.7.8 Sludge........................................................................................................25 2.7.9 General Wastes ..........................................................................................26 2.8 UTILITIES............................................................................................................. 27 2.9 STAFFING ............................................................................................................ 28 2.10 TRAFFIC ............................................................................................................... 28 2.10.1 Construction Traffic ...................................................................................28 2.10.2 Operation Traffic........................................................................................29 3. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................31 3.1 CLIMATE.............................................................................................................. 31 3.2 OCEANOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 32 3.2.1 Regional Tides............................................................................................32 3.2.2 Cyclone Effects ..........................................................................................33 3.3 TOPOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 33 3.4 GEOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 33 3.5 SOILS .................................................................................................................... 34 3.5.1 Soil Types ..................................................................................................34 3.5.2 Acid Sulfate Soils.......................................................................................35 3.5.2.1 Background .............................................................................. 35 3.5.2.2 Impact of Acid Sulfate Soils...................................................... 36 3.6 GROUNDWATER................................................................................................