Community Bulletins

Community Bulletin 1

 

11 November 1998

Fisherman Islands Proposed Port Expansion

Your opportunity to comment on the Terms of Reference

Introduction

The Port of Brisbane Corporation is currently advertising for public comment on the Terms of Reference for its Impact Assessment Study for the expansion of its port facilities at Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the Brisbane River.

The purpose of this information bulletin is to explain to local communities and other interested stakeholders:

  • why the Corporation considers this expansion necessary;
  • what is proposed;
  • the process that will be followed to obtain State Government approvals needed for the project to proceed; and
  • the involvement of external parties.

Why the port needs to expand

Further expansion of the Fisherman Islands port area is considered essential if the port is to continue to serve Brisbane and the surrounding region in the future, and to develop as a major Australian port into the twenty-first century.

The main reasons for the expansion of Fisherman Islands are as follows:

  • Trade growth is exceeding projections, both from trade generated within the region and also cargo which can be landbridged to southern states.
  • There is growing pressure on port facilities upstream, eg. at Hamilton, from urban encroachment/renewal. As leases expire, the Corporation will progressively relocate such facilities downstream at Fisherman Islands, opening up these areas for public use.
  • Ships are getting bigger and for the port to remain competitive, it is essential that it cater for larger vessels, otherwise trade will be lost to other ports which can handle the larger vessels.

The key attraction of Fisherman Islands over any other potential sites along the lower reaches of the river is its water depth. Sites upstream of Fisherman Islands are unsuitable as their depth is constrained to the current 9.1m because of rock outcrops along the Lytton reach of the river.

  • Deepening of the river at Lytton Rocks even by 1m has been estimated at over $100 million and could potentially have unacceptable environmental impacts.
  • Fisherman Islands has the advantage of standard gauge rail.
  • Fisherman Islands is well buffered from nearby residential areas, allowing port operations to continue on a 24-hour basis without interfering with residential amenity in these areas.

What the Corporation is proposing

The Corporation is proposing to reclaim approximately 270 hectares at the northern end of Fisherman Islands to form an extension to the existing port area.

This expansion was initially projected in 1992 with the release of the Corporation’s Key Port Brisbane - Strategic Plan 2005 and Beyond which was endorsed by the Government of the day.

It is proposed that the land to be reclaimed (as shown on the map) will be used for harbour purposes, principally for container and general cargo wharves and terminals, off-wharf container and cargo storage, transport facilities including roads, railways and intermodal handling yards, and port service industries.

The development will be carried out using:

  • material, mainly from on site, to construct bunds around the perimeter of the reclamation area;
  • quarry rock from quarries in the Brisbane area to face the bunds and protect them from sea erosion; and
  • material dredged from navigation channels in the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay (as part of the routine maintenance of these channels) to reclaim the area within the bunds.

Quarry rock and other bund material, if required, will be transported to the site via existing major arterial roads (eg. Gateway Arterial Road and Lytton Road), all of which already have significant truck traffic on them. No trucks will be allowed to travel via any residential areas at Wynnum North.

It is estimated that 17.5 million m3 of filling will be required. Approximately 6.5 million m3 will come from the dredging required to create additional shipping berths on the river side of the area. The balance of 11 million m3 will come from the placement of material from routine channel maintenance dredging from the river and bay over approximately 15 years.

The final design and alignment for the bund and revetments will be determined following modelling of currents, waves patterns, etc, as part of the Impact Assessment Study.

The process to be followed:

Proposed Timetable

To proceed with this project the Corporation requires approval under:

  • section 91 of the Harbours Act to reclaim the site;
  • section 86 of the Harbours Act for construction of bund walls around the reclamation and the excavation of the future berth areas to a depth of 13 metres below Low Water Datum (LWD);
  • the Environmental Protection Act; and
  • the Fisheries Act (if disturbance of marine plants is involved).

No works are proposed within the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

 

 

 

 

Frequently asked questions

What are Terms of Reference?

They are the guidelines that the Corporation will use in preparing the Impact Assessment Study. They detail what issues must be addressed, what studies need to be undertaken and what information must be provided for stakeholders and decision-makers to assess the full impact of the proposal. It is important that all aspects of the proposal are identified in the Terms of Reference. Items which have not been identified in the Terms of Reference are unlikely to be considered at a later stage.

What is the Impact Assessment Study?

The Impact Assessment Study is the complete work including engineering, environmental, economic and social considerations needed to evaluate the potential impacts of the project. It will be prepared by consultants engaged by the Corporation and presented in report form.

Is the port expanding simply because the Corporation needs somewhere to place dredged material and, if so, what will happen to dredged material once the port expansion is complete?

No. The Corporation is seeking to expand because of projected trade growth. The Corporation has undertaken and continues to undertake research into alternative (beneficial) uses of dredged material. The Port of Brisbane Corporation together with all State and local government agencies with responsibility for managing the Brisbane River and its catchment are working to reduce sediment from entering the river. In the medium to long term, reduced inputs of sediment to the river will decrease the amount of dredging necessary to maintain the river channels. Material dredged from shipping channels in Moreton Bay is clean sand for which there is a ready market.

Will the expansion through reclamation require dredging any new channels or deeper dredging of existing channels?

No. There is no proposal to obtain material for fill from dredging new channels or deepening existing channels below the declared depth. Any new channel or the deepening of existing channels below declared depths would require a separate approval process.

Should development be phased?

It is proposed that the Impact Assessment Study should consider the project as a whole so that the full impacts of the proposal can be considered. In undertaking the Impact Assessment Study, consideration will be given to phasing the development over the life of the project.

Has development been phased to keep pace with the dredging rate or business need?

The proposed expansion to the port at Fisherman Islands is based on the projections for development of the port over the next 15 to 20 years.

The Draft Terms of Reference for the Impact Assessment Study and supporting information on the project, in the form of the Corporation’s Initial Advice Statement, are available by contacting:

Project Officer Fisherman Islands Project
Planning and Assessment Section
Department of Environment and Heritage
PO Box 155
BRISBANE ALBERT ST QLD 4002
Fax (07) 3227 7237
Tel (07) 3227 7765

Written submissions will be accepted until close of business on 11 December 1998.