23/02/2006 - The Australian
Government has approved the Environmental
Impact Statement and the Major Development
Plan for the Gold Coast Airport, which effectively
allows the Tugun Bypass to be built through
airport land, the Australian Government
Minister Transport and Regional Services,
Warren Truss and Australian Government Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell announced today .
Mr Truss said the approval of the four-lane
Tugun Bypass development will deliver major
benefits for motorists and residents on
Queensland’s Gold Coast, including the elimination
of serious traffic congestion on roads between
Currumbin and Tweed Heads.
“Under AusLink, the Australian Government
will provide $120 million for the 7.5km
Tugun Bypass in recognition of the need
to facilitate essential traffic flows and
to protect the unique environmental and
cultural heritage values of the area.
“The Tugun Bypass will improve the capacity
and efficiency of the transport corridors
around the airport and allows for a future
rail line through the airport.
“Through a comprehensive public consultation
process, the Australian Government has listened
carefully to the views of all parties to
ensure the important social, economic and
environmental issues were fully addressed,”
he said.
Senator Campbell said the approval conditions
include strict mitigation measures to minimise
impacts on flora and fauna and to protect
the Cobaki Broadwater and a compensatory
habitat package of more than 80 hectares.
“The environmental benefits of this project
will be significant; adding 11 hectares
of Wallum Sedge Frog habitat to the Cudgen
Nature Reserve in New South Wales, providing
the missing link to an ecological buffer
around the Cobaki Broadwater, and bringing
protection measures to improve habitat for
the threatened Long-nosed Potoroo (Australia’s
most ancient real kangaroo).
“The important cultural heritage values
of the area will be protected through a
Cultural Heritage Management Plan, to be
developed in consultation with local Aboriginal
groups.
“We have been instrumental in bringing together
the varying requirements of the state and
Australian governments into a coordinated
approval process that should deliver both
improved traffic flows and significant environmental
benefits,” he said.
Mr Truss said the approval of the Tugun
Bypass will also facilitate the extension
of the runway at the Gold Coast Airport
which will bring significant tourism and
other benefits to Southern Queensland.
* Conditions of the approval for the Tugun
Bypass are attached.
________________________________________
Conditions of the Draft Major Development
Plan for the Airport Section of the Tugun
Bypass
1. A Construction Environmental Management
Plan (CEMP) is prepared and implemented
for this project. The components below should
be included in the CEMP and endorsed by
the Airport Environment Officer (AEO), in
consultation with the Federal Department
of Environment and Heritage (DEH), prior
to construction commencing:
a. A Soil and Water Management Plan that:
- identifies the environmental features
that may be adversely impacted by deterioration
in surface water quality;
- identifies the construction activities
that could cause soil erosion or discharge
sediment or water pollutants from the site;
- describes management methods to minimise
soil erosion or discharge of sediment or
water pollutants from the site including
a strategy to minimise the area of bare
surfaces during construction;
- describes the location and capacity of
erosion and sediment control measures;
- describes design measures to mitigate
impacts on water quality from sedimentation
and water pollution during the operation
of the Bypass;
- identifies the timing and conditions under
which construction stage controls will be
decommissioned;
- includes contingency plans to be implemented
for events such as fuel and chemical spills;
- identifies how the effectiveness of the
sediment and erosion control system will
be monitored, reviewed and updated; and
- includes a program for monitoring water
quality before, during and after construction.
The program should specify the parameters
to be monitored, acceptable levels as defined
in the Airport (Environment Protection)
Regulations 1997 (the Regulations), the
response thresholds and the response activities.
b. A Groundwater Management Plan detailing:
- Objectives for groundwater management;
- Proposed measures to achieve those objectives;
- Uncertainties in meeting the objectives
and how they will be addressed through further
testing and/or modelling;
- Monitoring of groundwater levels and quality
before, during and after construction, including
methodology, parameters to be monitored,
and responsibility for interpreting monitoring
results; and
- Proposed triggers based on groundwater
levels and water quality parameters and
response measures for managing dewatering
and re-injection.
c. An Acid Sulphate Soils Management Plan
which includes:
- Details of baseline surveys to establish
background trends in groundwater geochemistry;
- The site-specific criteria derived from
baseline surveys, taking into account the
need to maintain existing low pH conditions
suitable for ‘acid’ frogs in the south of
the Gold Coast Airport;
- Measures for controlling soil pH by treatment
with agricultural lime in bunded areas;
- The proposed testing regime to ensure
pH levels and rates of acid generation are
within criteria; and
- A contingency plan to deal with the unexpected
discovery of actual or potential acid sulphate
soils.
d. Air Quality Management Plan which includes
details of vehicle numbers to be used on
site and management measures for vehicle
emissions.
2. A Flora and Fauna Management Plan is
prepared and implemented. The components
below should be included in the management
plan and endorsed by the AEO, in consultation
with DEH, prior to construction commencing:
a. plans showing:
- terrestrial vegetation communities; important
flora and fauna habitat areas; locations
where threatened species, populations or
ecological communities were recorded; and
areas to be cleared. The plans must also
identify vegetation adjoining the proposed
works where this contains important habitat
areas and/or threatened species, populations
or ecological communities;
- aquatic vegetation communities; important
habitat areas; locations where threatened
species, populations or ecological communities
were recorded; and areas to be cleared.
The plans must also identify vegetation
adjoining the proposed; and
- works where this contains important habitat
areas and/or threatened species, populations
or ecological communities.
- methods to manage impacts on flora and
fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic)
and their habitat which may be directly
or indirectly affected by the proposed works.
These must include:
- procedures for vegetation clearing, soil
management and managing other habitat damage
(terrestrial and aquatic) during construction;
- methods to protect vegetation both retained
within, and also adjoining, the proposed
works from damage during construction;
- a habitat tree management program including
fauna recovery procedures and habitat maintenance
(e.g. relocating hollows or installing nesting
boxes);
- methods to minimise damage to aquatic
habitats;
- where possible, and where consistent with
the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation
or NSW Fisheries requirements, strategies
for re-using in rehabilitation works individuals
of any threatened plant species that would
be otherwise be destroyed by the proposed
works; and
- performance criteria against which to
measure the success of the methods.
b. rehabilitation details including:
- identification of locally native species
to be used in rehabilitation and landscaping
works, including flora species suitable
as a food resource for threatened fauna
species;
- methods to remediate affected aquatic
habitats or fish passages;
- the source of all seed or tube stock to
be used in rehabilitation and landscaping
works including the identification of seed
sources within the proposed works. Seed
of locally native species within the proposed
works should be collected before construction
commences to provide seed stock for revegetation;
- methods to re-use topsoil (and where relevant
subsoils) and cleared vegetation; and
- measures for the management and maintenance
of all preserved, planted and rehabilitated
vegetation (including aquatic vegetation).
c. a Weed Management Strategy including:
- identification of weeds within the proposed
works and adjoining areas;
- weed eradication methods and protocols
for the use of herbicides;
- methods to treat and re-use weed infested
topsoil; and
- strategies to control the spread of weeds
during construction.
d. (e) a program for reporting on the effectiveness
of terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna
management measures against the identified
performance criteria. Management methods
must be reviewed where found to be ineffective.
3. A Water Quality Monitoring Program is
prepared and implemented prior to construction
and submitted to the AEO for endorsement.
The Program should specify monitoring obligations
before, during and after construction. The
Program should specify the parameters to
be monitored, acceptable levels, the response
thresholds and the response activities.
The Program should indicate how post-construction
monitoring on Commonwealth land will eventually
be incorporated into the water quality monitoring
program conducted under the Gold Coast Airport
Environment Strategy.
4. A Cultural Heritage Management Plan is
prepared and implemented and include:
a. sub-surface testing of likely sensitive
areas prior to construction;
b. measures to minimise impact on the site
on the Register of the National Estate;
and
c. emergency measures to be adopted in the
event of an unexpected find during construction.
5. A Noise Impact Assessment Policy is developed
for the future Western Enterprise Precinct,
to ensure the planning and detailed design
of such a precinct adequately addresses
the impacts of noise.
6. Prior to construction, and in consultation
with the AEO, further testing of the airport
dump site is required to be undertaken in
accordance with the relevant guidelines
for contaminated land. These results are
to be provided to an independent auditor
to determine if a remedial plan is required.
7. An acknowledged independent aviation
practitioner is to be engaged to verify
that all aspects of the design and construction
of the Tugun Bypass meet the standards and
requirements of the Manual of Standards
for Aerodromes (MOS 139) to the satisfaction
of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
8. CASA and Airservices Australia must be
consulted prior to and during the construction
of the proposed development and comply with
any safety requirements specified by the
agency, including issues identified in Section
7.4.1 and 7.4.2 of the draft Major Development
Plan. Additionally, Gold Coast Airport Limited
must advise the Department of any changes
to the approved MDP arising from the need
to comply with CASA standards.
