The State Government’s updated draft scoping requirements for the Port of Hastings Terminal environment effects statement (EES) now recognises the likely impacts on Ramsar wetlands, threatened species and migratory birds at Western Port.
According to the State Government, the update was incurred following consideration of public comments received on a draft exhibited between November and December 2024, as well as following a decision in August this year by Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt that the project is a controlled action.
The scoping requirements are the blueprint for that EES. They set out which environmental matters need to be investigated and identify priority issues.
The purpose of the EES is to provide a “sufficiently detailed” description of the project, assess its potential effects on the environment and assess relevant feasible alternatives and approaches to avoid and mitigate effects.
Compared with the old version, the updated scoping requirement now addresses matters of national environmental significance (MNES) under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, recognising that the project is likely to have a significant impact on Ramsar wetlands, listed threatened species and communities, and listed migratory species.
In June this year, the State Government submitted a modified proposal for the Port of Hastings Terminal for Federal approval with reduced reclamation and dredging.
The modified proposal states that in response to the then-Federal Environment Minister’s veto of the 2023 referral, the project has undergone “extensive” preliminary impact assessment studies, which are evidenced by the submission of almost 40 relevant documents.
The project, known as the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal, was proposed back in 2023 to “develop and operate a facility to serve as a base for the assembly of offshore wind farms” at the Port of Hastings.
Then-Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected the proposal publicly in January 2024.
In her statement, she said that although a detailed project specification and environmental assessment had not been undertaken, she noted and accepted the advice from the department’s Wetland Section Line Area that the information provided was sufficient to conclude that the project was “clearly unacceptable”.
Fast forward to this year, as the modified proposal of the Port of Hastings Terminal gained Federal approval to proceed further, local conservation groups called for “exhaustive” scrutiny under the environmental assessment, public involvement, a full investigation of alternative sites, and a strategic plan to protect the Western Port.
Updated draft scoping requirements are now open for public review and comment until 24 September.
The State’s Planning Minister will issue the final scoping requirements after review.
To read the updated document and submit your comments, visit: engage.vic.gov.au/victorian-renewable-energy-terminal-ees-scoping-requirements
