Response to Submissions
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Browse LNG Precinct ©WOODSIDE ©WOODSIDE Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct SAR Response to Submissions September 2011 Summary Report Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct - Strategic Assessment Report Department of State Development Response to Submissions - Summary Report Government of Western Australia Preface The Department of State Development ( DSD) provides leadership to drive responsible development for Western Australia's future. Working closely with industry, communities and government agencies the Department delivers significant State initiatives and facilitates major resource, industrial and infrastructure projects. It also works to attract strategic investment to Western Australia, assist the development of export markets, and enable the development of strategic industrial land and infrastructure for the benefit of the State and its people. The State of Western Australia, through the Minister for State Development, is proposing to develop an onshore, common-user Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG) precinct to process natural gas from the Browse Basin gas fields off the West Kimberley coast (the BLNG Precinct). In delivering the Precinct, the Western Australian Government is committed to balancing the needs of industry, the local community and the environment for the benefit of all Western Australians. The development of the Precinct would result in billions of dollars of capital investment, create thousands of jobs and provide significant opportunity for existing and future local businesses. The development will also provide the opportunity to substantially improve the education, health, social and economic well-being of Aboriginal people and significantly reduce disadvantage within the Kimberley community. DSD has been working in partnership with industry, the Kimberley Land Council ( KLC) and Traditional Owners to identify the most suitable location and to coordinate the establishment of the Precinct. This Strategic Assessment process is the culmination of four years of work to identify the most suitable site, based on technical, environmental and heritage criteria. On 30 June 2011 the State Government, the Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr ( GJJ) Native Title Claim Group and Woodside Energy Ltd finalised agreements to secure access to the land required for the Precinct and to secure benefits worth more than $1.5 billion over a 30 year period for Traditional Owners, and the broader Kimberley Indigenous Community. This Response to Submissions report has been prepared in accordance with guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Authority. The purpose of the public review is to enable transparency and accountability by providing the opportunity for the public to provide comment on the proposal and to enable the provision of new relevant information for consideration by regulators. DSD is committed to the public review process and subsequent modification of the Precinct concept and management arrangements as appropriate. While the State recognises that there is some opposition within segments of the local community, it is considered that, given the extensive studies, broad community consultation, and the agreement of the Traditional Owners of the land in question, this location delivers the best overall environmental and social outcome for Western Australia. In relation to the proposal for the development, over 11,000 submissions were received during the public review period. The majority of these were ‘proforma’ submissions, of which there were approximately eight different versions. In total, there were 202 individual submissions (including the eight proforma versions), ranging from single page letters through to substantial reports. Of these 202 submissions, 26 were submitted by ‘named’ organisations which comprised a mix of Non-Government Organisations ( NGOs), Government agencies and stakeholder groups. A comprehensive process of analysing and responding to all 202 submissions was undertaken. A number of common concerns emerged from the submissions received. Some of these concerns are relevant at the general project and policy level, while others apply to the technical detail of the assessment process. Some of the concerns related to how the information was originally presented and described in the Strategic Assessment Report (SAR ). This Summary Report responds to common issues arising as part of the public review process, and detailed responses to individual questions are presented in a comprehensive compendium appended to this report (Appendix A). An electronic version of both this Summary Report and Appendix A is provided in a pouch at the back of this document. DSD has committed to a governance structure that is appropriate for the BLNG development. To that end, a BLNG Precinct Control Group will be established to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the Precinct Plan. The Precinct Control Group, consisting of the Department of State Development, LandCorp, Broome Port Authority and Traditional Owners, will recommend actions, plans, and strategies to Cabinet through the Minister for State Development. Traditional Owners representation will ensure the active engagement and responsibility for recommendations in recognition of the Traditional Owners' status as the custodians of the land. SAR Response to Submissions – September 2011 Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct - Strategic Assessment Report Department of State Development Response to Submissions - Summary Report Government of Western Australia SAR Response to Submissions – September 2011 Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct - Strategic Assessment Report Department of State Development Response to Submissions - Summary Report Government of Western Australia Nomenclature, Acronyms, Measurements and Units List Nomenclature, Acronyms, Measurements and Units List i Response to Submissions 1 Overview and Project Benefits 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Project Benefits 2 1.3 Submission Process 6 1.4 Document Structure 13 2 Management Response 15 2.1 The Strategic Assessment Process 15 2.2 Derived Proposal Process 19 2.3 Governance Issues 21 2.4 Management Plans 27 2.5 Land Access and Informed Consent 34 3 Stakeholder Engagement Process 35 3.1 Past Stakeholder Engagement Process 35 3.1.1 Northern Development Taskforce Stakeholder Engagement 37 3.1.2 Social Impact Assessment Engagement Activities 40 3.1.3 Public Review Period 42 3.2 Future Stakeholder Engagement 44 3.2.1 Opportunities for Engagement with Future Commercial Proponents 44 3.2.2 Opportunities for Engagement with the Foundation Proponent 45 3.2.3 Precinct Engagement Plan 46 4 Key Themes and Response to Issues Raised 47 4.1 Overview of Key Themes and Issues 47 4.2 Site Selection and Approvals Process 47 4.3 Project Description 56 4.4 General and Policy Issues 62 4.4.1 Emergency Response 62 4.4.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions 63 SAR Response to Submissions – September 2011 Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct - Strategic Assessment Report Department of State Development Response to Submissions - Summary Report Government of Western Australia 4.5 Marine Factors 66 4.5.1 Marine Fauna 68 4.5.2 Marine Ecosystem Integrity 73 4.5.3 Water Quality 74 4.6 Terrestrial Factors 76 4.6.1 Terrestrial Fauna 77 4.6.2 Terrestrial Ecology 79 4.6.3 Air Quality 83 4.7 Social Factors 88 4.7.1 Social Impact Management Compliance 90 4.7.2 Human Health 91 4.7.3 Precinct Worker Behaviour 95 4.7.4 Broome Community Services 95 4.7.5 Community Identity and Tourism 96 4.7.6 Cost of Living and Accommodation 97 4.7.7 Education, Training and Employment 99 4.7.8 Local Procurement 101 4.7.9 ASIA Recommendations 103 4.8 Heritage Factors 104 4.8.1 Legislative Framework 105 4.8.2 Dinosaur Footprints 111 4.8.3 National Heritage Listing 113 4.8.4 Aboriginal Heritage 114 4.8.5 Cultural Heritage Management 116 5 Cumulative Environmental Impacts 119 6 Proposed Changes to Commitments in the SAR 121 7 References 131 Annexure Annexure 1 - Index of Questions and Answers in Appendix A 139 Annexure 2 - Native Title Documentation 145 Annexure 3 - Governance and Environmental Management Commitments (as per Indigenous Agreements) 153 SAR Response to Submissions – September 2011 Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct - Strategic Assessment Report Department of State Development Response to Submissions - Summary Report Government of Western Australia Annexure 4 - Management Strategies 165 Annexure 5 - Dampier Peninsula Planning Strategy 191 Annexure 6 - Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Review 195 Annexure 7 - ASIA Recommendations 213 Annexure 8 - Cumulative Environmental Impacts 243 Tables Table 1.1 Summary of Kimberley Conservation Initiatives 3 Table 1.2 List of Named Organisations that Made a Submission 7 Table 1.3 Overview of Key Concerns Raised in Submissions 9 Table 2.1 State Management Strategies – Required for Precinct Management 31 Table 2.2 State Framework for Management of Social and Economic Impacts 32 Table 3.1 Summary of Stakeholder Participation in NDT Working Group Meetings 37 Table 3.2 ASIA Community Meetings (September 2009 – January 2010) 41 Table 4.1 Summary of Site Selection Analyses Conducted 48 Table 4.2 Summary of Key Proposal Characteristics 59 Table 4.3 Key Concerns Raised by Submissions - Marine Factors 66 Table 4.4 Key Concerns Raised by Submissions - Terrestrial Factors 76 Table 4.5 Sensitivity of Hydrogen Sulphide Modelling Results to Gas-field Composition 86 Table 4.6 Key Concerns Raised by Submissions - Social Factors 89 Table 4.7 Summary of Proposed Human Health Impact Management Measures 92 Table 4.8 Key Concerns