Archived page, Submission Dredging of Denham Channel

Submitted to the Minister for Environment and Heritage-Canberra 20th May 2002

Recfishwest has only just become aware of the proposal since it was advertised in Western Australia on April 29 this year and the Western Australian EPA has published its assessment under its "Assessment under Referral Information". From this document it is apparent that your delegate granted a sea dumping permit to Shark Bay Resources under Section 19 of the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981 on September 9. 2001.

Recfishwest objects to this permit both with respect to the process and with respect to the particular conditions.

It appears inappropriate to Recfishwest that environmental approval should be given to a project in State territorial waters through a Commonwealth process. Apart from other issues it makes it harder for community based organisations like Recfishwest (which is the peak body representing 650 000 recreational anglers in Western Australia) to be aware of the proposal and to participate in its assessment.

Recfishwest does not think that the conditions that have been imposed in the Sea Dumping Permit are appropriate or adequate. Some of the conditions seem to have been included mainly because it is fashionable to demonstrate a particular sensitivity. For example it stresses the need to minimise impacts with whales. On the other hand the spoil will be dumped over a substantial area to a considerable depth, temporarily creating a substantial sediment plume.

The impact of this dumping is to be monitored for any impacts of the plume on adjacent sea grass areas and for effects on benthic flora and fauna up to three years later: but we cannot see any provision for adaptive management in the conditions. If the monitorng detects any harmful impacts the only benefit will be an historical record somewhere.

In the absence of a full description of the project that would he provided in a normal environmental impact assessment Recfishwest is unable to make specific suggestions. However, we do wish to take this opportunity to register our concern about this issue in the hope that some way will be found to improve the procedure that we find quite unsatisfactory.



This page last updated on 30 December 2003.