Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Minister for Urban Development and Planning Paul Holloway said today Centrex Metals has been granted conditional approval to establish bulk-handling facilities at Port Lincoln.

Mr Holloway says the proposed port facility will export 1.6 million tonnes of iron ore a year sourced from Centrex Metals’ exploration lease at Wilgerup, which is located south east of Lock on the Eyre Peninsula.

“This approval is an important step in the development of South Australia’s mining industry and the State’s re-emergence as a major supplier of iron ore to the world,” Mr Holloway says.

“The approval is based on a recommendation from the independent Development Assessment Commission and is subject to stringent licensing requirements approved by the Environmental Protection Authority.

“This project has been reviewed thoroughly by DAC including a high level of consultation with the community, industry and State and local government agencies and I have accepted their independent expert advice.

“The 12 conditions imposed on the development include a limited life of 10 years for the project, that only material from one lease be brought on site and that unloading of rail cars won’t occur before 6am or after 10pm.

“While this approval marks the further significant step in the emergence of a new mining industry on the Eyre Peninsula, the region’s long-term future will depend on the development of a new port.”

The Centrex Metals development comprises changes to existing buildings, a new conveyor system, construction of a vehicle wash down and daily checks facility, and a new ship loader.

“The DAC recommendation found the application is consistent with Port Lincoln’s current planning policies given the Centrex development is located within an existing port and will be subject to strict compliance with the EPA’s licensing requirements,” Mr Holloway says.

“While there has been local opposition to the project including concerns about the potential impact on the aquaculture industry, I am confident all environmental considerations have been taken into account in the conditions imposed on the development.”

“Mining and the aquaculture industry are both important to the economic future of South Australia and can co-exist in Port Lincoln through the safeguards imposed by the approval conditions.”

CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

1. That except where minor amendments may be required by other relevant Acts, or by conditions imposed by this application, the development shall be established in strict accordance with the details and plans submitted in development application number 931/V048/09.
2. That the approved bulk handling facility shall be used solely for the export of iron ore mined from the Wilgerup mine as defined in Exploration Lease EL3317 and the use of the facility shall cease within ten years from the date of first export of iron ore from the facility.
3. That all external lighting of the site, including car parking areas and buildings, shall be designed and constructed to conform with Australian Standards and must be located, directed and shielded and of such limited intensity that no nuisance or loss of amenity is caused to any person beyond the site.
4. That train movements required for the approved bulk handling facility on the subject land shall not occur before 6:00am or after 10:00pm.
5. The facility herein approved must be designed and constructed to ensure that no visible hematite bearing dust is emitted to air from the receipt, storage, transfer or ship loadings operations.
6. Within three months of development approval, a marine monitoring program must be established to the satisfaction and approval of the Environment Protection Authority which includes, as a minimum, the requirement following:
   (a) 12 months of continuous monitoring for phytoplankton at the main wharf and at least one reference site located away from other potential nutrient sources in Boston Bay, prior to iron ore exporting commencing;
   (b) Continuous monitoring for phytoplankton at the same sites during the operating life of the facility;
   (c) Comprehensive surface sediment sampling for total iron and redox in the area predicted to receive the highest levels of hematite dust deposition near the main wharf in Boston Bay, prior to iron ore exporting commencing and annually thereafter during the operating life of the facility.
7. A Construction Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (CEMMP) must be prepared to the satisfaction and approval of the Environment Protection Authority prior to any construction work commencing. The CEMMP must include the following:
   (a) Dust control measures designed to avoid:
    - nuisance complaints from nearby sensitive uses;
    - dust deposition into the marine environment and stormwater drainage systems;
   (b) Noise controls measures designed to minimise construction noise impacts and ensure compliance with the requirements of Part 6, Division 1 of the Environment Protection (Noise) Policy 2007;
   (c) Soil erosion and drainage management measures designed to:
    - avoid sediment and polluted water movement into stormwater systems, the marine environment or onto public roads outside of the construction site;
    - ensure that any intercepted groundwater is not discharged to the marine environment unless such discharges comply with the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003;
   (d) Minimise disturbance of the benthic marine environment during construction of any new ship anchor points, and avoid direct deposition of materials and pollutants into the marine environment when undertaking work on the existing wharf;
   (e) Measures for the storage and use of chemicals that minimise the risk of accidental discharge to the environment;
   (f) Contingency measures (including environmental cleanup) to deal with extreme rainfall events, high tide and/or sea levels, accidental leakages or spillages, mechanical breakdown or human error;
   (g) Complaint recording and resolution procedures;
   (h) Site plans and drawings at a scale that can be easily read and interpreted.
8. The facility must be designed to meet the relevant indicative noise level minus 5dBA, as described in Clause 20 of the Environment Protection (Noise) Policy 2007, at the nearest noise sensitive receiver when all components of the facility are operating at full scale.
9. Any stormwater discharged to the marine environment from hard stand areas directly associated with the bulk handling facility (as described in Development Application Number 931/V048/09) must be treated via a system designed to ensure that discharges comply with the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003.
10. All hard stand areas associated with the facility must be swept regularly to minimise potential for dust generation and off-site impact on water quality.
11. The development must be substantially commenced within 36 months of the date of this notification, unless this period is extended by the Minister for Urban Development and Planning.
12. You are also advised any act or work authorised or required by this notification must be completed within four years of the date of notification unless this period is extended by the Minister for Urban Development and Planning.

ADVISORY NOTES

(a) Condition 2 is required as the testing and evaluation of the impact of the development of air quality and the marine environment was undertaken on the basis of iron ore and hematite sourced from the Wilgerup mine and was fundamental to the decision to grant approval.

(b) You will require a fresh consent before commencing or continuing the development if you are unable to satisfy requirements regarding commencement and completion of works.

(c) Pursuant to Section 49 (14) of the Development Act 1993 before any building work is undertaken, the building work is to be certified by a private certifier, or by some person determined by the Minister for the purposes of the provision, as complying with the provisions of the Building Rules (or the Building Rules as modified according to the criteria prescribed by the regulations)

(d) A current list of Registered Private Certifiers in South Australia is available from the Department of Planning and Local Government web site. (See Register of Private Certifiers)

(e) Building works may commence only when a Certificate of Compliance with Building Rules has been received from a Private Certifier, subject to any conditions imposed by DAC and the certifier. At completion of the project all certified documents should be retained by the responsible agency for the life of the asset.

(f) For additional information relating to certification of government building projects contact Stan Fuller, Building Surveyor, DAIS Building Management.

(g) The Coast Protection Board has released a set of guidelines, which should be followed in the areas where acid sulphate soils are likely to occur.

(h) The applicant is reminded of their general environmental duty, as required by Section 25 of the Environment Protection Act, to take all reasonable and practical measures to ensure that the activities on the whole site, including during construction, do not pollute the environment in a way which causes or may cause environmental harm.

(i) The applicant is reminded of its general environmental duty, as required by Section 25 of the Environment Protection Act 1993, to take all reasonable and practical measures to ensure that the activities on the whole site, including during construction, do not pollute the environment in a way which causes or may cause environmental harm.

(j) Any information sheets, guidelines, codes of practice, technical bulletins etc. That are referenced in this response can be accessed on the following web site: http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/pub.html

(k) An environmental authorisation in the form of a licence is required for the operation of the mineral exporting facility. The applicant is required to contact the Environment Protection Authority before acting on this approval to ascertain licensing requirements.

(l) A licence may be refused where the applicant has failed to comply with any conditions of development approval imposed at the direction of the Environment Protection Authority.

(m) In the event of a justifiable noise complaint, the operator of the infrastructure may be required to engage an acoustic engineer to verify that the legislative requirements are being met at all times, and may also be required to implement measures necessary to ensure that off-site nuisance does not occur.

(n) It is recommended that the applicant discuss options with the railway operator for decreasing noise from the train operation at night.