PBPL is committed to understanding and minimising the environmental and social impacts of our operations and encouraging good environmental practice by our tenants and stakeholders. The port does not operate in isolation; all supply chain activities have the potential to impact upon the air quality, water quality and ecological resources of the surrounding environment.
The Port of Brisbane’s location at the mouth of the Brisbane River adjoins the Moreton Bay Marine Park, an area of high ecological and conservation value. Moreton Bay contains a variety of habitats, including mangroves and seagrass. These habitats support important nursery and feeding grounds for a range of fish and crustaceans, many of direct value to fisheries. The area is also an important habitat for protected fauna such as turtles, dugong and migratory and resident shorebirds.
Our Environmental Management System
PBPL’s Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a systematic process to understand our existing environment, assess the aspects and impacts of our operations and, through a risk-assessment framework, develop operational and management strategies to minimise impacts. Our EMS is regularly and independently audited against the ISO14001:2004 international standard. The system provides a mechanism for us to identify the need to take corrective action and modify our practices, ensuring that environmental management remains a key priority of our daily business.
The EMS has a strong focus on monitoring programs that consider both the natural and built environment. On-site monitoring of PBPL’s work sites includes waste, potable water use and energy. However, our monitoring programs extend beyond the bounds of our operational control to include mangrove and seagrass health, migratory shorebirds, air quality, stormwater and groundwater quality, and weeds and pests.
Environmental incidents and reporting
Under the company’s Integrated Management System all environment, safety and property incidents are identified, reported and assessed. Typically, less than 1% of all reported incidents are related to environmental matters.
Key Environmental Performance Indicators 2010/2011
| Indicator |
Target |
Result |
| Number of environmental notices issued against PBPL |
0 |
0 |
| Number of environmental complaints received |
0 |
1 |
| Number of system or operational non-conformances against ISO 14001:2004 |
0 |
0 |
| Number of Class A or B environmental incidents (directly associated with our activities) |
0 |
0 |
Environmental complaints
We have a formally documented procedure for receiving and responding to complaints. This includes a requirement to respond to each complaint within 24 hours. While a matter may not be able to be resolved within this period, we are committed to ensuring that the correct action plan is established, and that all parties are notified of the actions proposed.
Contaminated land baseline study begins
To complement our regular environmental monitoring program, this year PBPL initiated an extensive contaminated land study, which will extend across all of our landholdings during the next 18 months.
The study aims to identify any areas of soil or groundwater contamination, so appropriate remediation actions can be taken. While we expect that most of our land will not be contaminated, this study will also provide valuable baseline information against which future contamination monitoring can be benchmarked. For the purposes of the study the port landholdings have been divided into seven precincts, with the Port West precinct the first to undergo the contamination assessment.
Click here to learn more