AGL Gas Import Jetty
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AGL Gas Import Jetty Consultation Summary July 2017 to August 2018 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 4 2.1. Project Overview 4 2.2. Project Site 4 3. Community Profile 6 3.1. The Region 6 3.2. Population 6 3.3. Key Stakeholder groups 7 4. Engagement Strategy 9 4.1. Community Engagement Commitments. 9 4.2. Engagement summation 9 5. Engagement activities 18 6. Community Submission 24 AGL Confidential 2 1. Executive Summary AGL has undertaken a Stakeholder Engagement program, predicated on transparency and the sharing of information, that is used to develop consultation planning and capture feedback from interested parties. AGL have engaged with various local residents and special interest groups since the announcement of Crib Point as the preferred location, to ascertain the local community’s sentiment toward the Project and identify any emerging issues they might have with the proposed development. Consultation activities commenced with key community stakeholders in July 2017 prior to the preferred site selection being announced. And the thirteen month program has consisted of 20 open community information session and presentations to further distinct community groups Key community inputs and outputs of this engagement have included • Background noise monitoring extended to French Island and additional Crib Point areas following community consultation • Representatives from Port Phillip Conservation Council, Western Port and Peninsula Protection Council, Westernport Seagrass Partnership, Phillip Island Conservation Society, Western Port Biosphere, Dolphin Research Centre and Phillip Island Nature Parks were provided consultation drafts for review and comment during draft stage • AGL published draft environmental assessment reports to its project website. Community members, Environment Groups and science-based research organisations were invited to provide comment on the reports in advance of submission of this Referral. • AGL has offered to fund an Independent peer review of technical work being organised through Balnarring residents with Save Western Port and Western Port and Peninsula Protection Council invited to participate. • Western Port Seagrass Partnership providing input and peer review into design of baseline and monitoring follow up studies. • Dolphin Research Centre published an article on their website with a peer review of science supporting the technical repots conclusions • Independent Peer review of an inaccurate online article on FSRU BLEVE explosions undertaken and provided to the community • Property report providing 30 years of property price trend data for suburbs with similar facilities provided to community in response to questions on property price impacts AGL will continue to proactively work with the community so they are kept informed of Project updates and to address concerns as they arise. AGL Confidential 3 2. Introduction This report has been prepared to provide a summary of AGLs community engagement activities between July 2017 and August 2018. In describes AGL’s engagement activities conducted to date and activities planned up to the projects Financial Investment decision. As part of AGLs’ engagement activities, AGL sought submissions on the projects draft environmental technical reports and gave a commitment to include those submissions as a part of the projects engagement summary to go with the referral. Those are included in section 6. Stakeholder engagement and negotiations with potentially affected landowners in respect of the Pipeline Project has been occurring as part of a separate engagement process run by APA to meet the legislative requirements of Victoria’s Pipelines Act 2005. This consultation in respect of individual land owners on the Pipeline Project, is not reported on in this report. 2.1. Project Overview AGL Wholesale Gas Limited (AGL) is proposing to develop a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import facility, utilising a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) to be located at Crib Point on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The project, known as the “AGL Gas Import Jetty Project” (the Project), comprises: • The continuous mooring of the FSRU at the existing Crib Point Jetty, which will receive LNG carriers of approximately 300m in length; • The construction of ancillary topside jetty infrastructure (Jetty Infrastructure) including: o High pressure gas unloading arms o A high pressure gas flowline mounted to the jetty and connecting to a flange on the landside component to allow connection to the Crib Point Pakenham Pipeline Project (Pipeline Project). There are several other activities that are related to the AGL Gas Import Jetty Project. These include the Jetty Upgrade and the Pipeline Project which are the subject of separate assessment and approval processes carried out by separate entities. 2.2. Project Site The Project Site includes the landside component known as allotment 2040 The Esplanade, Crib Point (owned by Port of Hastings Development Authority) and the Crib Point Jetty. The Crib Point Jetty is situated on the coastline of Western Port, 65km south-east of Melbourne (Victoria) on the Mornington Peninsula . The landside component is within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula . The pipeline runs from the Crib Point Jetty to Dore Rd in Pakenham east through the areas of Hastings, Tyabb, Tooradin, Somerville, Cardinia, Rythdale and Pakenham East/Nar Nar Goon. AGL Confidential 4 For the purposes of consultation the broader use of the waters of Western Port was also consider with consultation also occurring with stakeholders from French Island, Phillip Island and communities around Balnarring. AGL Confidential 5 3. Community Profile To provide the context for AGL's engagement activities, as well as to frame the community feedback and submissions received in respect of the Project, this section provides an overview of the region, including demographic information relating to the current and future population. Most of the data in this section is derived from the 2016 Census. This section also identifies the key community stakeholders in respect of the Project. 3.1. The Region The Mornington Peninsula Local Government Area is located approximately 75 kilometres to the south of Melbourne, between Port Phillip Bay to the west and Western Port to the east. The Project is located within Western Port, a large tidal bay opening into Bass Strait which incorporates around 260 kilometres of coastline. The bay features two large islands; French Island, predominantly agricultural, and Phillip Island, known for its tourism industry. Hastings and Crib Point are key urban centres on the coastline of Western Port and for more than 50 years have hosted a number of industrial sites, including petroleum refining and storage as well as gas and steel processing facilities. Hastings also features the main boat landing point in the bay. A submarine, HMAS Otama, is moored near Crib Point and further south is HMAS Cerberus, a naval base. Western Port is also used for recreational activities such as fishing and boating. It has been listed as an international Ramsar site since 1982 with international significance for migratory birds1. The high environmental, social and economic worth of Western Port is recognised further through the declaration of Western Port as an UNESCO Biosphere reserve and the presence of several Marine National Parks within the Ramsar site (Churchill Island, French Island and Yaringa). 3.2. Population In 2016, there were 154,999 people living in the Mornington Peninsula LGA (see Table 1). Of these, 22,016 people lived in Hastings – Somers, and 3,183 people in Crib Point. Crib Point had a high proportion of young people aged 19 years or younger compared with Mornington Peninsula and Victoria. However, Mornington Peninsula as a whole had a high proportion of older people aged 60 years and older. Retirement migration to the Mornington Peninsula is considered a key driver behind the aging of the population in the shire, especially on the southern Port Phillip coastal strip (Profile ID, 2015). Table 1 Population and age profile 1 http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/wetlands/ramsardetails.pl?refcode=19. AGL Confidential 6 Locality Population Age profile (%) 2011 2016 Average annual 0-19 years 20-59 years 60+ years growth rate 2011 – 2016 (%) Crib Point 2,839 3,183 2.3 26.0 53.8 20.1 Hastings - Somers 20,299 22,016 1.6 24.8 49.9 25.3 Shire of Mornington 144,608 154,999 1.4 23.2 45.6 31.4 Peninsula Victoria 5,354,042 5,926,624 2.1 24.3 54.8 21.0 Source: ABS 2011, ABS 2016 3.3. Key Stakeholder groups Within the communities of Crib Point and Hastings (and the broader Western Port region) there is a a network of community led environmental groups who take an active interest in development projects within the region. These groups include: • Port Phillip Conservation Council (also Blue Wedges) • Western Port and Peninsula Protection Council • Westernport Seagrass Partnership • Preserve Western Port Group • Phillip Island Conservation Society • Phillip Island Nature Parks • Western Port Biosphere • French Island Community Association The following are the other community stakeholders identified by AGL in relation to the Project: • The owner occupiers of Five properties on the Esplanade within proximity to the Project Site (located approximately 1.4km from the jetty head). • The general population of Crib Point. • The Crib Point Community House - Which delivers learning programs to enhance social and economic wellbeing • The Crib and Stony Point Foreshore