Environment

AGL is committed to minimising the impact it has on the environment, including:

• pollution prevention
• promotion of waste minimisation
• reuse and recycling
• efficient use of resources such as water and energy
• protecting cultural heritage.

Gas Storage Facility Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment approval processMore

The New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) approved AGL's application to construct the Newcastle Gas Storage Facility at Tomago, near Newcastle in May 2012 under Section 75J of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 and subject to certain conditions.

PAC's approval incorporates the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DP&I) assessment of, and satisfaction with, AGL's Preferred Project and Response to Submissions Report, which AGL prepared and submitted on 12 September 2011 to address the publics' comments on the Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA was on public display from 24 June 2011 to 29 July 2011.

The conditions of consent, the EA Report and the Preferred Project and Response to Submissions Report are available on the DP&I's website.

This PAC approval provides AGL with state government permission to construct the gas plant, pipeline, receiving station and associated and ancillary infrastructure. Click on the links to view the PAC Approval and the subsequent Modification to Approval.

Commonwealth approvalMore

On 18 July 2012, the project received conditional approval from the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC). DSEWPaC has confirmed the project is a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Department's decision and its conditions can be read here.

AGL will continue to update the community via the news page, newsletters and advertisements in the local newspaper.

As a requirement of its EPL Lic No. 20130, CBI has made their Pollution Incident Response Management Plan available here.

Approvals related documentsMore

The following documents are available for viewing via the link on the highlighted word:

• Construction Compliance Report April 2013
• Independent Environmental Audit Report Nov 2012
• Biodiversity Offset Strategy
• Pre-Construction Compliance Status Report
• Compliance Tracking Program
• Environmental Protection Licence for the construction phase
• Staging Plan which defines the staging of the construction phase of the project
• Groundwater Monitoring Program
• SMEC's initial peer review report of the stormwater management and disposal system
• Preconstruction road condition report
• Principal contractor's Construction Environmental Management Plan (sub-plans below)
• Appendix B1 Groundwater Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B2 Surface Water Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B3 Cultural Heritage Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B4 Vegetation Rehabilitation and Weed Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B5 Flora and Fauna Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B6 Soil Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B7 Acid Sulfate Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B8 Noise and Vibration Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B9 Traffic Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B10 Air Quality Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B11 Waste Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B12 Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B13 Bush Fire Management Sub Plan
• Appendix B14 Flood Emergency Response Sub Plan

In addition, AGL has received DPI sign-off for a number of documents:

• DPI approval for Independent Environmental Representatives
• DPI approval of the Construction Environment Management Plan
• DPI approval of the Biodiversity Offset Strategy
• DPI approval of the Groundwater Management Programme
• DPI Approval for Staged Approach to Hazard Studies
• DPI Approval of Stage 1 Hazard Studies