Download EIS Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment

EIS Aquatic Ecology
Impact Assessment
Surat Gas Project
Arrow Energy has provided cleaner
energy to Queensland through coal
seam gas (CSG) production in the Surat
and Bowen Basins since 2004.
Arrow proposes to expand its CSG
operations in the Surat Basin through
the Surat Gas Project. The need for the
project arises from the growing demand
for gas in the domestic and global
markets and the associated expansion
of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export
markets.
This fact sheet summarises key
findings of the Aquatic Ecology Impact
Assessment undertaken as part of the
Surat Gas Project Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
April 2012
Introduction
What did the Aquatic Ecology Impact
Assessment involve?
Guidelines set by the Department of Environment and
Heritage Protection (DEHP), formerly the Department
of Environment and Resource Management (DERM),
under the Environmental Protection Act 1994
(Qld) protect aquatic resources in Queensland. The
Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 (EPP
(Water)) sets out the objectives for the protection
of aquatic environmental values of wetlands and
waterways.
The Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment involved
a desktop study to identify the existing aquatic
environment through review of existing data and
information for the study area (Figure 1). The
desktop study involved a detailed literature review
and searches of the following government and nongovernment databases, and other sources:
•
EPBC Act Protected Matters Search Tool for listed
threatened species and communities.
Other legislation relevant to aquatic ecology
includes the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act), Nature
Conservation Act 1992 (Qld), Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld),
Water Act 2000 (Qld), and Land Protection (Pest and
Stock Route Management) Act 2002 (Qld). These acts
and associated policies and regulations protect aquatic
ecology through the:
•
Aquatic Conservation Assessment using
AquaBAMM, an assessment method developed
by DEHP.
•
DEHP’s Wildlife Online database.
•
The Murray Darling Basin Commission for fish
data in the Condamine and Weir Rivers.
•
A review of recreational fishing clubs, associations
and values of the project development area.
•
Protection of matters of national environmental
significance, including listed aquatic species
and Ramsar sites.
•
Protection of native wildlife, which includes
individual species of plants and aquatic animals,
in addition to habitats and ecosystems.
•
Management, use and protection of fisheries
resources in Queensland.
•
Sustainable planning, allocation and supply of
water resources to ensure the improved security
of water resources.
•
Management of pest animals and weeds.
Figure 1 Aquatic ecology sampling sites (Figure 3-2 of the Aquatic
Ecology Impact Assessment)
The Queensland Water Quality Guidelines 2009 and
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh
and Marine Water Quality (ANZECC, 2000) provide
a framework for assessing water quality through
the setting of water quality objectives. The Regional
Vegetation Management Code for Brigalow Belt and
New England Tablelands Bioregions was adopted
for the aquatic ecology impact assessment to ensure
riparian vegetation was protected to maintain
aquatic ecological values.
An Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment was
completed by Aquateco Consulting Pty Ltd in
accordance with the EPP (Water) and applicable
guidelines for the Arrow Energy Surat Gas Project
EIS.
EIS Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment
Field surveys were conducted at sites representative
of the aquatic ecosystems of the project development
area in November 2009 (early wet season) and May
2010 (post wet season). A field reconnaissance trip
assessed 73 sites selected on the basis of land use,
and waterway and catchment characteristics. Many
of the sites were found to exhibit similar attributes
and conditions which led to 11 sites (Figure 1) being
identified for assessment of habitat, water quality, and
presence of aquatic plants (macrophytes) and animals
(fish, reptiles and macroinvertebrates). The targeted
sites had significant aquatic ecosystem values such as
high value wetlands or critical habitat for listed aquatic
species.
What are the issues
and potential impacts?
Managing aquatic ecology
Arrow recognises that the aquatic ecology resources
of the project development area are important
conservation assets and are relied upon for a variety of
human and ecological uses. The protection of aquatic
ecology values present in the project development
area will be achieved by:
•
Selecting production facility sites away from
sensitive locations and implementing a buffer
zone around sensitive areas within which project
activities will be avoided or limited.
•
Minimising physical disturbance of stream banks
and stream beds to reduce the potential for
erosion and sediment movement.
•
Developing an erosion and sediment control plan
to minimise potential impacts when avoidance
of disturbance of stream beds and banks is not
practicable, including from any discharges of
water from project activities.
•
Developing and implementing handling and
storage, emergency and spill response procedures
to minimise any impacts that could occur as a
result of releases of hazardous materials.
•
Carrying out corrective actions immediately upon
the identification of any contamination of soil
or groundwater that has occurred as a result of
project activities.
•
Developing a weed and pest management plan.
•
Ensuring designs of watercourse crossings and
other potential barriers maintain flows and enable
fish passage.
Potential impacts on aquatic ecology from the Surat
Gas Project activities include:
•
Erosion and increased movement of sediment
from earthworks and watercourse crossings.
•
Decline in water quality and increased algal
blooms from sedimentation and barriers or
restrictions to flows.
•
Introduction and spread of introduced species.
•
Reduced movement of aquatic animals from the
installation of temporary or permanent waterway
barriers.
•
Habitat loss and modification from clearing of
riparian and in-stream vegetation.
The potential impacts are most likely to occur
during construction (roadworks and pipeline
watercourse crossings), but also in the operations and
maintenance, and decommissioning phases of the
proposed project.
Arrow’s environmental
protection objectives
The environmental protection objectives for aquatic
ecology are:
•
•
To avoid or minimise adverse impacts to the
aquatic ecology in environmentally sensitive areas,
and permanent, semi-permanent and ephemeral
watercourses.
To control the introduction or spread of new or
existing exotic aquatic flora or fauna species.
Key Aquatic Ecology Impact
Assessment findings
Aquatic ecosystems of the study area comprise diverse
environments with permanent, semi-permanent and
highly seasonal flowing water and standing water
represented in four drainage basins.
The aquatic habitats of the project development area
comprise wetlands and permanent, semi-permanent
and ephemeral watercourses. Important features
include:
•
Lake Broadwater.
•
Watercourses (notably the Condamine River) and
numerous small swamps and billabongs.
•
A section of Oakey Creek thought to support
an extremely limited distribution of locally
threatened fish.
EIS Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment
In general, the aquatic environments of the project
development area are moderately to highly disturbed,
as a result of historic land clearing and altered
drainage patterns. Existing water quality was poor,
with a number of pollutants outside of the relevant
water quality guidelines.
No nationally or state significant aquatic flora were
identified. The fish and aquatic reptile species in the
project development area are generally species that
tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.
However, seven fish species that are considered to
be potentially locally threatened were identified,
as known to be present or likely to be present, in
the project development area. The species are of
conservation value, as they are not very tolerant to
change.
Macroinvertebrates (animals, including insects, that
have no backbone and can be seen with the naked
eye) in the study area are indicative of watercourses
that are significantly degraded due to poor water
or habitat quality. These animals are typically
characteristic of watercourses experiencing significant
impacts from activities such as water extraction, land
clearing and farming.
Plate 1 below shows the bony bream, one of the most
abundant native fish species found in watercourses in
the project development area.
are effective and monitoring will be undertaken
to demonstrate achievement of the environmental
objectives by:
•
Inspecting erosion and sediment control
measures following significant rainfall events to
ensure their effectiveness is maintained.
•
Visually inspecting streams and monitoring
hydrology and water quality upstream and
downstream of crossings immediately prior to,
during and after construction of watercourse
crossings.
•
Routinely inspecting project worksites for
evidence of pest plants and animals.
•
Routinely visually inspecting streams and
monitoring hydrology and water quality at
CSG water discharge points. Inspection and
monitoring will be conducted in accordance with
relevant guidelines upstream and downstream of
authorised locations.
•
Routinely inspecting spill containment controls
and spill response kits.
Further reading
Surat Gas Project EIS:
•
Volume 1, Chapter 16, Aquatic Ecology.
•
Volume 5, Appendix J, Aquatic Ecology Impact
Assessment.
For more information
For persons or groups with special communication
needs or persons requiring further information about
the Aquatic Ecology Impact Assessment, please either
contact Arrow directly or view the Surat Gas Project
EIS in any of its various media forms (i.e. online book
format, downloadable PDFs or hard copy) via the
following:
Further work
Inspection and monitoring of avoidance, mitigation
and management measures will be implemented
to ensure the residual impacts continue to be low
throughout the life of the project. Inspection will be
undertaken regularly to ensure mitigation measures
Find out more online @
www.arrowenergy.com.au
BRISBANE DALBY MORANBAH GLADSTONE
AE_058_02_12_V2
Telephone: freecall 1800 038 856
Email: [email protected]
Visit: (for both the online book format and
downloadable PDFs): www.arrowenergy.com.au