Kwinana Quay Environmental Review and Management Program Fremantle Ports

Requirements

We were engaged by Fremantle Ports to project manage and provide expert technical advice on the marine environmental assessment of a major port facility.

Fremantle Ports has proposed to develop a major outer harbour port facility (Kwinana Quay) within Cockburn Sound to accommodate long-term container trade growth beyond 2020. We were engaged to undertake the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and approvals required for the marine component of the proposal.

At an early stage of design and assessment of site options, we was charged with bringing together a team of specialists and scoping key potential environmental issues. Following referral of the preferred project option, the Environmental Protection Authority considered that the proposal raised several, complex potential environmental impacts, and set a requirement for the highest level of regulatory assessment – an Environmental Review and Management Program (ERMP).

Over a period of years, we undertook or arranged all requisite technical investigations and surveys to assess potential impacts from the proposed dredging, marine infrastructure construction and operation on: coastal erosion, water and sediment quality (including hydrodynamic modelling and field validation), seagrass and other benthic habitats, ecosystem integrity, penguins, dolphins, fisheries, marine pests, aquaculture and marine recreation values. The findings of these surveys were workshopped in a risk assessment framework to identify the key environmental issues requiring mitigation and management.

Following the intensive studies, we synthesised all findings into Draft ERMP document, including a comprehensive Marine Monitoring and Management Program, on behalf of Fremantle Ports and for consideration by environmental regulators.  

Solutions

• Environmental scoping, impact assessment and approvals
• Project management of technical specialists
• EIA and approvals documentation
• Environmental risk assessment
• Development of marine monitoring and management program
• Coastal and marine environmental surveys.