Flinders Ports agrees to ‘no side-casting’ dredging method recommended by EPA for Port River
FLINDERS Ports has agreed to an EPA recommendation to use a different method to dredge the Port River than the one which devastated Gulf St Vincent 13 years ago.
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FLINDERS Ports has agreed to an Environment Protection Authority recommendation to use a different method to dredge the Port River than the one which devastated Gulf St Vincent 13 years ago.
The private port operator wants to remove 1.5 million cubic metres of silt from the Outer Harbor channel and dump it in the sea.
SCAP, SA’s prime planning authority, held an “invitation only” closed-doors hearing with Flinders Ports and local environmental groups yesterday.
According to Flinders Ports, the Outer Harbor shipping channel and swing basin needs to be widened to accommodate increasingly broader cargo and cruise ships.
Greens MLC Mark Parnell, Tony Bazeley from the Port Adelaide Residents Environment Protection Group and Jim Douglas from the Western Adelaide Coastal Residents Association criticised the State Government for not releasing the EPA’s advice prior to the assessment hearing, saying it put them at a disadvantage.
The Portside Weekly Messenger can now reveal the EPA has advised Flinders Ports that it should not proceed with the same method it did in 2005 — as was originally proposed by the company — and which caused 2000ha of seagrass loss.
The EPA said this method would cost the state between $17 and $29 million due to lost fish stock and increased sand cartage on beaches.
It estimated that 433,000 tonnes of excavated material would be discharged during the dredging works using this method.
Instead, it is requesting Flinders Ports use a smaller “no side-casting” dredging vessel which would reduce the amount of excavated “fine sediment“ spilling back into the river and smothering seagrass during the dredging works by 39 per cent.
“The EPA considers this to be a substantial reduction in the degree of predicted environmental harm caused by the proposed dredging works,” the report said.
It said this method was “a reasonable and practicable way of minimising harm”.
Flinders Ports has agreed to use the method recommended by the EPA.
The EPA did not protest the dumping of the dredge spoil at Gulf St Vincent, saying the level of contamination of sea matter from the Outer Harbor channel was below national guidelines and therefore “suitable for placement at sea”.
It requested dredging take place in winter as this will reduce the loss to 1000ha of lost seagrass rather than 1500ha should the works be done in summer when seagrass builds up energy stores.
However, the report said “even with the use of the alternative dredging methodology and winter timing of the dredging works, approval of this proposal may still result in widespread turbidity and a high likelihood of extensive seagrass loss.”
Flinders Ports chief executive Vincent Tremaine said the project was “absolutely essential to protecting the import and export industry” in South Australia.
“The Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal is the only container terminal in South Australia,” Mr Tremaine said.
“Without widening the channel to accommodate these new larger vessels, containerised trade and cruise shipping will omit Adelaide from their shipping calls.
“This will be an economic disaster with exports decimated, imported products increasing in cost and major job losses both directly at the port but with far greater flow on impacts as businesses close, downsize or move interstate.”
Mr Tremaine said he was hopeful of commencing works this autumn and that as “custodians of the Port River and shipping channel” he was “acutely aware of the need to preserve our marine environments”.
He said a dredge management plan will be implemented to provide a clear plan for the monitoring and management of potential dredging impacts.
“This plan will be developed in conjunction with, and approved by, the EPA prior to the works being carried out,” he said.
Planning Minister John Rau will have the final say on approving the dredging.
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