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<TITLE>Sample Submission Form - Waratah Coal Proposal</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Please find below a sample submission form requesting that the Government assesses the referral from Waratah Coal and requests an Environmental Impact Statement.<BR>
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Please feel free to amend the submission as you wish.<BR>
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FAX TO: 02 6274 1789 for Referral Business Entry Point, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.<BR>
POST TO: Referral Business Entry Point, EIA Policy Section (EPBC Act)<BR>
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601<BR>
EMAIL TO: <FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au<BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"></U></FONT><B>SUBJECT: WARATAH COAL PROPOSAL: TRIGGERS UNDER EPBC ACT<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">This correspondence identifies matters of national environmental significance that require assessment under the EPBC Act in relation to:<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><U>Project Reference No</U>: 2008/4366.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><U>Title of Referral</U>: Waratah Coal/Mining/Mine in Galilee Basin; Port South of Port Clinton; pipeline to Lake Dalrymple/Qld/Galilee Coal Project including development of coal mine, 495km railway, port and 285m pipeline.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><U>Grounds for Assessment under EPBC Act:</U> Having considered the information in the Initial Advice Statement for the subject proposal as prepared by Waratah Coal dated 14 April 2008 (the Waratah IAS Report), it is concluded that there are clear grounds for assessment of the proposal under the EPBC Act. The proposal would have impacts on the following EPBC Act matters:<BR>
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</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The proposal would, in part, be on land and water held by the Australian Government. This proposal includes rail line and shipping port activities over land and water used for national defence training, an area known as the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (the Area). The <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Waratah IAS Report is vague on the location of the rail and port facilities within the Area. The whole of the Area has remarkable environmental, notably biodiversity, values.<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The Area was the subject of the 1993-1994 Commission of Inquiry under the Commonwealth Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974. The Waratah proposal is inconsistent with the Key Findings and Recommendations of that Inquiry. Amongst other matters the Area’s environmental values were examined in detail and <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">summarised in the Inquiry’s final report:<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">“By any measure the natural and cultural values of the Area are outstanding …The area is the largest coastal area with high wilderness values on the east coast of Australia south of the Cooktown and, as such, is regionally and nationally very significant” (Page xvi Final Report Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry, Shoalwater Bay, May 1994).<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The Area contains Threatened Species and Ecological Communities. Tables 11-14 of the Waratah Report provide the proponent’s desk-top summary of the ‘threatened’, ‘endangered’, ‘of-concern’ ecosystems and species within the proposed Project Area. It is likely that comprehensive study would confirm and expand on that desktop review. The proposal would fracture and fragment habitats and ecosystems putting those species and ecological communities at further risk. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The whole of the Area’s marine environment is included on the World Heritage List. The massive rail and port proposal would be an intrusive development not compatible with that listing. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Being part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park the area is considered to contain important Commonwealth marine environments, which would be jeopardized by the subject proposal. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The Area includes wetlands of international significance, including Ramsar Convention declared wetlands. The proposal would potentially adversely affect those wetlands and the movement of migratory birds. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The area is on the National Estate registar and the proposal would demean that long established registration. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The area is part of the traditional country of the Darumbal People and the imposition of rail and port facilities would compromise that cultural landscape. <BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">The Area is on the Commonwealth Heritage List and has historical significance in respect to sites associated with the explorers Cook and Flinders.<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></UL><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">It is considered that the Waratah proposal would have significant impact on the above matters of national environmental significance. It is difficult to image grounds to support the proposed actions especially against the precautionary and intergenerational equity principles. Accordingly the application requires the most rigorous application of the EPBC Act’s assessment processes.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Proposed Actions Clearly Unacceptable: Further it is believed that the proposed Waratah actions would be clearly unacceptable against the EPBC Act’s aims and objectives. The proposal includes developments and activities that would be fundamentally in conflict with the findings and recommendations of the 1993-1994 Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry. Surprisingly the Waratah Report failed to reference that Inquiry and did not seriously identify alternative locations or the impacts of the proposal on the above matters of national environmental significance. Rather than expending significant time and effort in furthering the proposal, it is respectfully suggested that the Minister decides and informs the proponent that the proposal is unacceptable.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Notwithstanding that position and if the assessment process is to continue, it is requested that any possible joint EIS Report to address both Australian and Queensland Government requirements (perhaps under a bilateral agreement) does not forego wide national and international assessment and full public consultation as opposed to an abbreviated research and public information process only.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Public Inquiry Level of Assessment: Given that the Minister does not immediately dismiss the proposed actions, it is requested that an open Public Inquiry is established under the EPBC Act. It is considered that this would be the only appropriate approach for the massive proposal, which would generate obvious adverse environmental, socio-economic, water catchment and other impacts. The Public Inquiry approach would also suggest due respect to the work of 1993/1994 Commission of Inquiry which comprehensively rejected the intrusion of sand mining and related storage and transportation activities.<BR>
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