11 September 2009

The Queensland Government has called for public comment on an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a dedicated industrial marine precinct facility at the Port of Townsville.

Colin Jensen, the Queensland Coordinator-General, said he would release the Townsville Marine Precinct EIS tomorrow for five weeks of public consultation.

“The proposed industrial marine precinct, situated at the mouth of the Ross River at the Port of Townsville, will provide dedicated facilities for commercial and recreational use,” Mr Jensen said.
“The project incorporates public boat ramps, parking bays and recreation areas plus offshore elements such as a breakwater and areas for private moorings.

“It seeks to address the ongoing and increasing demand for marine facilities in the area by providing a sheltered, purpose-built precinct for both marine dependent industries and public facilities.”

Mr Jensen said the EIS for the project would be available from tomorrow and he looked forward to public comment. “I encourage interested parties to lodge a public submission on the EIS over the next five weeks,” Mr Jensen said. “The release of the EIS is not an indication of support for, or approval of, the project. It is an opportunity to provide feedback to the government on whether the EIS adequately addresses and manages the impacts of the project. “The EIS must identify ways of avoiding or mitigating all foreseeable adverse impacts including impacts on fauna, flora, agricultural land, marine environments, air quality, noise, traffic, waterways, cultural heritage and social infrastructure.”

As well as Queensland Government scrutiny under various laws, the project will also need to be assessed by the Federal Government under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The EIS can be viewed online at www.dip.qld.gov.au/projects or at http://www.townsville-port.com.au/. 

All submissions must be in writing and received by the Coordinator-General by 5pm Monday 19 October 2009. For information on the EIS process contact the Department of Infrastructure and Planning on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 3224 5004.

Media contact: 3405 3481