Agency Submissions
Government Departments say no
We are not the only ones saying “halt the salt", many
Government Departments have made submissions to the Environmental
Protection Authority (EPA) recommending Strait’s salt mine
does not proceed.
The following have been taken from recent submissions by Government
Departments on the modified proposal Strait’s submitted to
the EPA:
• Department of Environment and Conservation:
“…DEC is of the view that the modified proposal and
supplementary information have not adequately addressed our concerns
in relation to the impacts and risks to ecosystem function, sea
level rise, altered surface water and groundwater hydrology and
risks to the subterranean fauna of Exmouth Gulf. As such, this assessment
has not been able to demonstrate that the potential impacts and
risks to the biodiversity conservation values of Exmouth Gulf can
be managed to ensure that unacceptable environmental impacts will
not result from the implementation of this proposal…proceeding
with this proposal would forego the opportunity to conserve a nationally
significant, extensive and intact coastal ecosystem with significant
potential for nature-based tourism and fisheries resource protection.”
(March 2008)
• Office of the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure:
“The proposal does not adequately demonstrate that the impacts
of coastal processes – particularly cyclonic storm surge inundation
and sea level rise – on the project area have been assessed,
nor does it fully explain the implications for development setbacks
and the structural integrity of proposed infrastructure.”
(1 May 2008)
• Department of Fisheries:
“…the revisions and best efforts of the proponent have
failed to address our concerns to a satisfactory level…within
the context of the great significance of the Exmouth Gulf from a
fisheries and ecological perspective.” (31 March 2008)
• Minister for Fisheries:
“…it is my view, and that of the Department of Fisheries,
that the improvements in the new proposal are not sufficient to
satisfy me that the project will not have significant and long-lasting
deleterious effects on the environment of the Exmouth Gulf, its
ecological processes and consequently the long-standing and sustainable
fishing and aquaculture activities that occur within the Gulf.”
(7 April 2008)
• Marine Parks and Reserves Authority:
“…the potential risks to the significant conversation
and biodiversity values of the Exmouth Gulf area remains high and
various potential environmental impacts remain uncertain.”
(20 March 2008)
• Tourism Western Australia:
“…does not allay fears that the Yannarie salt project
poses a threat to the conservation value in the area and that environmental
impacts are likely to be adverse to the current, and expanding,
nature based tourism in this area.” (28 March 2008)
To view the Government Departments submissions, see below.
Conservation Commission; Minister for Indigenous Affairs;
Mines
Conservation,
Heritage and Mines (244 kb pdf in new window)
Department of Environment and Conservation
Main
Part 1 (2.18 Mb pdf in new window)
Main
Part 2 (1.58 Mb pdf in new window)
Supplementary
(593 kb pdf in new window)
Department for Planning and Infrastructure
DPI and
Department of Water (137 kb pdf in new window)
DPI, two
submissions (1.63 Mb pdf in new window)
Department of Fisheries
Main
(504 kb pdf in new window)
Supplementary
(361 kb pdf in new window)
Marine Parks and Reserves Authority
MPRA, 2
submissions (172 kb pdf in new window)
Tourism Western Australia
Tourism,
2 submissions (281 kb pdf in new window)
Department of Water, Pilbara Region
Water, 2 submissions
(385 kb pdf in new window)
© Photograph courtesy
Wags and Kelly |
