Community Bulletins

Fisherman Islands Proposed Port Expansion

Your opportunity to provide input into the Impact Assessment Study

What's in this bulletin

In November 1998 the Port of Brisbane Corporation announced its intention to conduct an Impact Assessment Study (IAS) investigating the proposed expansion of its port facilities at Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the Brisbane River. At that time, Terms of Reference were advertised for public comment. These were approved by the relevant Government agencies in January 1999.

Since then, some longer term technical studies have been continuing; however, to ensure that the consultation process provides every opportunity possible for people to have their say, the commencement of all activities requiring community input has been delayed until now.

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

• the proposal to expand the port
• why the port needs to expand
• the IAS process and how to be involved
• who is responsible for decision making
• how to find out more
• how to submit comments

About the proposal

The proposal is to reclaim up to 270ha of land at Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the Brisbane River to provide an additional 1,800m of quayline (wharf frontage) and associated infrastructure to accommodate the projected future growth of the Port of Brisbane. This area is outside the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

If approved, the reclamation would take 25 years to complete. It would involve the construction of a sea wall and areas for placement of dredged material.

The land to be reclaimed (as shown on the map below) would be used mainly for container and general cargo wharves and terminals, off-wharf container and cargo storage, transport facilities (roads, railways and intermodal handling yards), and port service industries.

Why does the port need to expand?

The airport and seaport are the two main drivers for the economic growth of South East Queensland. The efficiency of the port influences the competitiveness and efficiency of Queensland’s economy. Extra wharf and port land is required to support projected trade growth, to relocate existing port facilities at Hamilton, and to accommodate the trend towards larger ships which need deeper berths.

• Trade projections to the year 2025 show anticipated growth in all cargo types, with strong average annual growth in containers (6.9%), motor vehicles (4.7%) and break bulk (eg. timber, machinery) (2.9%).
• Total trade volumes are projected to reach over 60 million tonnes by 2025 (20,745,590 tonnes in 1998/99).
• Actual total container volumes for 1998/99 of 357,703 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) are 22% above the projections in the 1992 Strategic Plan. Total container volumes are projected to reach up to 1.9 million by 2025.
• Demand for port land is projected to exceed existing supply at Fisherman Islands by the year 2007.
• Demand for quayline is projected to exceed existing available deep-water frontage on Fisherman Islands by the year 2009.
• By 2025, it is projected that an additional 222ha of land will be required for industrial and commercial development purposes, and an additional 1.8km of quayline, over and above existing capacity at Fisherman Islands.

Assessing the likely impacts

An assessment must be undertaken of the likely social, economic and physical impacts of the proposal. The IAS will assess whether the project should proceed on the basis of environmental impacts, what strategies should be adopted to manage expected impacts if it does proceed, and how these impacts will be monitored during and after construction. Information from the IAS will form the basis for Approving Authorities to assess the various applications associated with required approvals and works.

The IAS has commenced and is being conducted by independent consultants, led by WBM Oceanics Australia and Dames and Moore. The Terms of Reference require the IAS to address:

• impacts of the reclamation activities; and
• impacts of dredging the new berths.

The Terms of Reference do not include the operational aspects of activities to be carried out at the port. The management of shipping activities and future development on the reclaimed land would be subject to separate and subsequent approval processes.

The community consultation process

The community’s views about this proposal are important. All comments received will be reviewed and incorporated in the IAS. The community has already contributed to the Terms of Reference for the IAS. Comments are now invited again as part of the investigation into likely impacts. A further opportunity for input will occur when the Draft IAS goes on public display later this year.

An independent community consultation specialist, Andrea Young from Andrea Young Planning Services, has been engaged to consult with the community about the proposal. Andrea is a local planning practitioner with a depth of experience in consulting with communities.

There are a number of ways in which you can contribute to the study:

Public Display - Comment on the Draft IAS in August this year

Call the Info Line - Call the free hotline on 1800 679 961 to contribute information

Meetings will also be held with community, environment and other interest groups during the IAS preparation.

The consultation process to be followed:

Proposed Timetable

For more information call the Info Line on: 1800 679 961
9am - 4pm, Monday to Friday