AFDA Media Release 16 Jan 2013: King tide reveals Fitzroy delta Terminals to be a stranded asset.
Last weekend’s king tides totally inundated the proposed coal export terminals in the Fitzroy delta. Aerial photographs clearly show both the proposed Fitzroy Terminal and Xstrata terminal sites covered by the ocean, leaving only the tops of the highest mangroves exposed. The Fitzroy and Keppel Bay Alliance (KAFDA), flew over the area at the height of last Saturday’s king tide and have a series of aerial photographs that graphically show the proposed export terminal sites completely under water. Spokesperson for KAFDA, Ms Ginny Gerlach said the sight of the delta completely under water was stunning and revealing. She said the small existing general cargo facility at Port Alma looked like a tiny island poking out of a massive lake. “When you see the delta on these king tides, it’s laughable that anyone could seriously think they could build new coal export terminals here without the need for massive reclamation works just to get equipment and workers to the sites,” said Ms Gerlach. “The proponents are claiming they can build these new facilities with only minor disruption to the delta habitat”, continued Ms Gerlach. “There is no way in the world this is possible having witnessed the impact of these king tides first hand.” “Putting aside these kind tides and the predicted sea level rise over the next few decades, it’s worth remembering what Port Hinchinbrook looked like after Cyclone Yasi went through. Imagine how much destruction will occur to coal terminals built on mangroves and saltpans in the Fitzroy delta when a cyclone pays us a visit sometime in the future, which is just a matter of when, not if.” “This proposal is putting investors money at risk as much as it is risking the natural environment of our beautiful delta and any investors should be made aware of how real those risks are,” Ms Gerlach said. “These recent photos that show the whole place under water must surely demonstrate that a river delta like the mighty Fitzroy issimply the wrong place to try to build new export facilities,” concluded Ms Gerlach.
UNESCO have raised serious concerns with both the State and Federal governments about the proposed coal port development in the Fitzroy delta and have warned the Great Barrier Reef’s international World Heritage rating could be downgraded if new proposed coal ports at various locations adjacent to the Reef go ahead. KAFDA is calling on the State and Federal governments to recognise the folly of pursuing coal export facilities anywhere in the Fitzroy delta and not approve any new facilities in this sensitive and important area. see KAFDA website .
Background – Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal
Capricorn Conservation Council (CCC) opposes Xstrata’s plans for the industrial development of Balaclava Island for a coal export facility in the Fitzroy River Delta on environmental grounds. CCC strongly believes that the environmental impacts that will result from the project construction and operation are far too great; the quality and extent of the habitats, wetlands, estuary, water quality and threatened or endangered terrestrial and marine flora and fauna needs to be preserved for conservation purposes and not compromised for industrial development that furthermore greatly increases our global carbon footprint and climate change impacts.The Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal (BICET) project is currently in the Environmental Impact Assessment period, with a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being developed by Xstrata Coal Queensland for assessment under both State and Federal legislation following the final Terms of Reference (released in early June 2011 and available here for download). In 2010 the then federal Department of Environment (now the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) took nearly four months to decide and assess the project under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) as a ‘controlled action’. This determination allowed the coal port to progress to the EIS stage after which the Queensland State Government gazetted the project as a ‘state significant project’.
As part of their EIS, Xstrata will be required to submit comprehensive studies and information on how their development will affect five controlling provisions (also Matters of National Environmental Significance) defined by the EPBC Act:
1. World Heritage properties,
2. National Heritage places,
3. Wetlands of international importance,
4. Listed threatened species and communities,
5. Listed migratory species.
The large number of EPBC controlling provisions as listed above, are not often seen, however the activities of dredging a channel in the river, establishing a railway line, conveyor belt (on a bund wall), coal stockpile yards and building 2 shipping berths will have
impacts on these Matters of National Environmental Significance. Xstrata need to address these impacts by avoiding them, reducing them or mitigating them. CCC believes the precautionary principle should be applied and that the potential and actual impacts will be too great and thus the project should be totally avoided.
Summary of CCC’s concerns
The environmental impacts that will result from the project are numerous and CCC has great concerns about specific species, areas, ecosystems and water quality as follows:
Yellow Chat: The proposed Railway Line will be located in close proximity to and potentially traverse essential habitat and breeding grounds for the Yellow Chat – a critically endangered bird species with a very small and localised Capricorn sub-species population. The sub-species population on the Fitzroy floodplain (there are recorded sitings on Raglan, Twelve-Mile and Inkerman Creeks, all of which form part of the Fitzroy River Delta and Southern Fitzroy Floodplain) relies on the habitat provided by native reeds and grasses lining creeks and ponds in the estuarine and freshwater interface of the creek channels, feeding on insects. They rely on the inundation of the salt marshes and CCC has great concerns that existing hydrogeological regimes (soil water movement), overland water flow and riverine-estuarine water movements will be altered greatly by the construction and operation of a railway line across this floodplain country, to an extent that will impact upon the food and habitat resources of Yellow Chat and pose a major threat to this subspecies population on marine plains. Link here to Yellow Chat research and posters/signage in the Twelve Mile Creek region.
Fitzroy River Delta and Floodplain – nationally significant wetlands: The proposed railway line, conveyor belt, stockpile yards and shipping berths will traverse or lie adjacent to the nationally important wetlands of the Fitzroy River Delta and the Fitzroy Floodplain. CCC is concerned of the hydrological changes and consequential impacts to habitat and species distribution of flora and fauna (adjacent to or in these wetland areas) as a direct result of a), the construction of a bund wall of some 50-200 metres width to support the coal conveyor belt, and b), the railway line foundation/bund wall to support the railway line. These wetlands are important for native waterbirds and migratory birds. Link here to data information sheet of these two nationally listed wetlands.
Inshore Dolphin populations: Dredging for the shipping channel and the two shipping berths will occur in the known habitat range of the Indo-Pacific Humpback and Snub-fin Dolphin. The Snub-fin Dolphin is an IUCN red listed species and the Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphin is listed as near threatened under the Nature Conservation Act. CCC is concerned about the noise and water quality impacts from dredging and the increased boat/ship traffic in the Fitzroy Delta and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
(GBRWHA). Please refer to our more detailed comments on the Snub-fin and Indo-Pacific Humpack Dolphins here.
Flatback turtles: The Flatback turtle is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act. The shipping channel for Balaclava Island comes within 6km of Peak Island; a Preservation (Pink) Zone in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and a major nesting site of the Flatback Turtle which is one of the two largest nesting populations in eastern Australia (Limpus, 1983). Specifically, CCC is concerned about the impacts of:
1. Increased shipping on turtle nesting and shallow feeding areas close to Peak Island as the shipping channel comes within 6km of this protected site;
2. Increased noise and lighting on Flatback Turtle nesting and hatching cycles;
3. Increased vibration from shipping on Flatback Turtles and marine cetaceans in the mouth of the Fitzroy River; and
4. The possibility of a major oil or coal spill so close to Keppel Bay Islands.