Improved Dredge Material Management for the Great Barrier Reef Region APPENDIX D Identification of Alternative Sites for the Placement of Dredge Material at Sea Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd (SKM) Asia-Pacific Applied Science Associates (APASA) Revision 1.3 10 July 2013 © Commonwealth of Australia 2013 Published by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2013 ISBN 978 1 922126 14 6 (ebook) This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (appropriately acknowledging this source) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Australian Government does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Sinclair Knight Merz (Firm). Improved dredge material management for the Great Barrier Reef Region / Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd (SKM); Asia-Pacific Applied Science Associates (APASA). ISBN 978 1 922126 14 6 (ebook) Dredging spoil--Environmental aspects--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef. Dredging spoil--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef--Management. Spoil banks--Environmental aspects--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef. Spoil banks--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef--Management. Dredging--Environmental aspects--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef. Dredging--Risk management--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef. Water quality management--Queensland--Great Barrier Reef. Hydrodynamic receptors. Asia-Pacific Applied Science Associates. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. 363.7284 This publication should be cited as: SKM 2013, Improved dredge material management for the Great Barrier Reef Region, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville. Acknowledgement This report was supported with funding from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population, and Communities through the Sustainable Regional Development Program. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2-68 Flinders Street (PO Box 1379) Townsville QLD 4810, Australia Phone: (07) 4750 0700 Fax: (07) 4772 6093 Email: [email protected] www.gbrmpa.gov.au DOCUMENT HISTORY AND STATUS Author(s) Date Date Reviewed Approved Revision approve Revision type issued by by d A 25/10/12 T Elsdon B Chatfield D Smith 25/10/12 Draft D Smith L Wells M Yeates B 26/10/12 T Elsdon M Huber M Huber 26/10/12 Draft D Smith L Wells M Yeates 0 28/10/12 T Elsdon M Huber M Huber 26/10/12 Issued to client for review D Smith L Wells M Yeates 1 13/11/12 T Elsdon M Huber M Huber 13/11/12 Final D Smith L Wells M Yeates 1.1 28/06/13 T Elsdon M Huber M Yeates 28/06/13 Revised final D Smith L Wells M Yeates 1.2 04/07/13 T Elsdon M Yeates M Yeates 04/07/13 Revised final D Smith L Wells M Yeates 1.3 10/07/13 T Elsdon M Yeates M Yeates 10/07/13 Revised final D Smith L Wells M Yeates CONTENTS GLOSSARY IX ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XIII RELIANCE STATEMENT XIV SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION 4 Background 4 Purpose 4 Scope 5 METHODS 8 Port-specific Literature and Data Review 8 Study Limitations 8 Stakeholder Engagement 9 Bed Shear-Stress Modelling 9 Identification of Alternative Dredge Material Placement Areas 10 Identification of Model Cases and Disposal Scenarios 13 PORT-SPECIFIC IDENTIFICATION OF ALTERNATIVE AREAS AND MODEL CASE SITES 16 Port of Gladstone 16 Existing Environment and Constraints 16 Material Placement Sites 17 Rosslyn Bay State Boat Harbour 20 Existing Environment and Constraints 20 Material Placement Sites 21 Port of Hay Point 25 Existing Environment and Constraints 25 Material placement sites 25 Port of Abbot Point 30 Existing Environment and Constraints 30 Material Placement Sites 30 Port of Townsville 34 Existing Environment and Constraints 34 Material Placement Sites 35 Port of Cairns 39 Existing Environment and Constraints 39 Material Placement Sites 40 MODEL CASE SCENARIOS 44 Port of Gladstone 44 Rosslyn Bay State Boat Harbour 44 Port of Hay Point 44 Port of Abbot Point 45 Port of Townsville 45 iii Port of Cairns 45 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 47 REFERENCES 50 APPENDIX A PORT-SPECIFIC SUMMARIES OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 62 The Port of Gladstone 62 Soft Bottom Habitat 63 Seagrass 63 Benthic Communities 64 Reef Habitat 64 Coral Communities 64 Macroalgae Communities 66 Intertidal Communities 66 Invasive Marine Species 66 EPBC-listed Species 67 Fisheries 73 Fish Habitat Areas 74 Marine Park Zoning 74 Special Management Areas 74 Cultural Heritage Values 74 Navigational Constraints 75 Tides and Currents 75 Rosslyn Bay State Boat Harbour 76 Soft Bottom Habitat 77 Seagrass 77 Infauna Communities 78 Reef Habitat 78 Coral Communities 78 Macroalgae Communities 79 Intertidal Communities 79 Invasive Marine Species 80 EPBC-listed Species 80 Bony Fishes 85 Fisheries 86 Fish Habitat Areas 86 Marine Park Zoning 87 Special Management Areas 87 Cultural Heritage Values 87 Navigational Constraints 87 Tides and Currents 87 The Port of Hay Point 88 Soft Bottom Habitat 88 Seagrass 89 Benthic Communities 89 Reef Habitat 90 Coral Communities 90 iv Macroalgae Communities 91 Intertidal Communities 92 Invasive Marine Species 92 EPBC-listed Species 93 Fisheries 99 Fish Habitat Areas 99 Marine Park Zoning 99 Special Management Areas 99 Cultural Heritage Values 99 Navigational Constraints 100 Tides and Currents 100 The Port of Abbot Point 101 Soft Bottom Habitat 101 Seagrass 102 Benthic Communities 102 Reef Habitat 103 Coral Communities 103 Macroalgae Communities 103 Intertidal Communities 104 Invasive Marine Species 104 EPBC-listed Species 104 Bony Fishes 109 Fisheries 110 Fish Habitat Areas 111 Marine Park Zoning 111 Special Management Areas 111 Cultural Heritage Values 111 Navigational Constraints 111 Tides and Currents 111 The Port of Townsville 112 Soft Bottom Habitat 112 Seagrass 113 Benthic Communities 114 Reef Habitat 114 Coral Communities 115 Macroalgae Communities 117 Intertidal Communities 119 Invasive Marine Species 119 EPBC-listed Species 119 Fisheries 125 Fish Habitat Areas 125 Marine Park Zoning 125 Special Management Areas 125 Cultural Heritage Values 126 Navigational Constraints 126 Tides and Currents 126 The Port of Cairns 127 Soft Bottom Habitat 127 v Seagrass 128 Benthic Communities 129 Reef Habitat 129 Coral Communities 129 Macroalgae Communities 133 Intertidal Communities 133 Invasive Marine Species 133 EPBC-listed Species 134 Fisheries 139 Fish Habitat Areas 139 Marine Park Zoning 140 Special Management Areas 140 Cultural Heritage Values 140 Navigational Constraints 140 Tides and Currents 140 APPENDIX B SEDIMENT MUD AND SAND CONTENT MAPS (FROM SKM APASA 2013) 141 FIGURES Figure 1. Map of the study area showing the six ports considered. 7 Figure 2. Port of Gladstone with bed shear-stress. 18 Figure 3. Port of Gladstone with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 19 Figure 4. Rosslyn Bay State Boat Harbour with bed shear-stress. 23 Figure 5. Rosslyn Bay State Boat Harbour with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 24 Figure 6. Port of Hay Point with bed shear-stress. 28 Figure 7. Port of Hay Point with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 29 Figure 8. Port of Abbot Point with bed shear-stress. 32 Figure 9. Port of Abbot Point with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 33 Figure 10. Port of Townsville with bed shear-stress. 37 Figure 11. Port of Townsville with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 38 Figure 12. Port of Cairns with bed shear-stress. 42 Figure 13. Port of Cairns with shipping traffic and commercial trawl fisheries CPUE. 43 vi TABLES Table 1. Summary of model case volumes and modelling scenarios. 15 Table 2. Port-specific modelling scenarios for dredged material placement campaigns. 46 Table 3. Coordinates of the centroids of the 13 identified model case sites. 49 Table 4. Per cent of community cover recorded in Port Curtis in 2009 surveys (BMT WBM 2009). 65 Table 5. EPBC-listed reptile species within the study area. 67 Table 6. EPBC-listed marine mammal species within the study area. 70 Table 7. EPBC-listed shark species within the study area. 72 Table 8. EPBC-listed bony fishes species within the study area. 72 Table 9. Per cent cover of hard coral, soft coral and macroalgae at five locations in the Fitzroy Region in 2011 surveys (Thompson et al. 2011). 78 Table 10. EPBC-listed reptile species within the study area. 81 Table 11. EPBC-listed marine mammal species within the study area. 83 Table 12. EPBC-listed shark species within the study area. 85 Table 13. EPBC-listed bony fishes species in the study area. 85 Table 14. EPBC-listed reptile species within the search area. 93 Table 15. EPBC-listed mammal species potentially occurring within the search area. 95 Table 16. EPBC-listed shark species potentially occurring within the search area. 97 Table 17. EPBC-listed bony fishes species potentially occurring within the search area. 97 Table 18. EPBC-listed reptile species potentially occurring within the study area. 105 Table 19. EPBC-listed marine mammal species potentially occurring within the study area. 107 Table 20. EPBC-listed shark species within the study area. 109 Table 21. EPBC-listed bony fish species within the study area. 109 Table 22. Composition of coral reef communities. Hard coral families (per cent cover) Thompson et al.