Master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point – Public consultation insights summary – May 2023

In accordance with the Sustainable Ports Development Act 2015 (Ports Act), the Queensland Government released a draft master plan and draft port overlay for the priority Port of Abbot Point for public consultation.

The public consultation commenced on 17 October 2022 and continued for an eight-week period to 12 December 2022. Following community requests for additional time to make submissions, the consultation period was extended to 20 January 2023, for a total consultation period of more than 13 weeks.

Submissions

In total, there were 8 submissions on the draft master planning documents for the priority Port of Abbot Point from a range of stakeholders.

• 1 submission from a local government
• 1 submission from a port authority
• 1 submission from industry
• 3 submissions from Queensland Government agencies
• 2 submissions from environmental groups

About master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point

The Queensland Government is advancing master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point under the Ports Act.

Master planning provides a strategic and coordinated approach, considering issues beyond strategic port land, including potential marine and land-based impacts, port and supply chain infrastructure capacity and connectivity, and economic, community and environmental interests.

Master planning aims to strike a balance for the sustainable development of the priority Port of Abbot Point and the long-term protection of environmental and cultural values, including the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the Caley Valley Wetlands.

Master planning complements the existing regulatory system and does not remove regulatory processes required for planning and assessing proposals associated with port-related development.

Priority port master planning is a Queensland Government port-related commitment of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan). The Reef 2050 Plan is a joint Australian and Queensland Government strategy for securing the long-term health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

Communications approach

From the commencement of public consultation, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) utilised a range of communication methods to support the community in having their say on the draft master planning documents.

• Public notices - in local and national newspapers and the Queensland Government Gazette.
• Webpages with links - to draft documents and fact sheets on master planning. There were 345 downloads of the draft master plan and draft port overlay.
• Public displays - of the draft documents at the local TMR office and the Bowen Library.
• Project email - and a 1300 hotline number for direct enquires.
• TMR hosted 2 public information sessions - enabling local community members to talk to TMR project officers about master planning and the draft documents. In total 14 attendees participated in the information sessions.
• Social media posts - on Facebook.
• An electronic community - newsletter to subscribers for master planning updates.
• Presentations - to private sector organisations with interests in the proposed master planned area.

Submission themes

TMR has reviewed the submissions to identify 4 key themes from the matters raised.

• Refinements of the draft master plan, draft port overlay and evidence base report—content and mapping.
• Protection of the Caley Valley Wetlands.
• Cumulative Impact Management.
• General comments on master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point.

Outcomes

The public consultation process for the priority Port of Abbot Point has provided considerable insight for the master planning process, in particular the importance of the Caley Valley Wetlands and the support for sustainable port development. In response to submissions, the final master planning documents are being reviewed.

For the Port of Abbot Point, reviews to the documents will take into consideration the importance of protecting the Caley Valley Wetlands.

The review considers:

• editorial changes to improve the information presented in the master planning documents
• additional environmental information to enhance the level of detail in the documents
• updates to figures for environmental values and the associated data references for the mapping to ensure the latest information is presented in the final documents
• further information about the Caley Valley Wetlands Coordinated Management Strategy, which will support the long-term protection of the environmental value to improve clarity.

The objective of changes will be to ensure the master plan and port overlay achieves the balance of sustainable port development and the protection of environmental values in the master planned area.

Next steps

TMR is preparing the final master plan and final port overlay for consideration by the Queensland Government. The final master planning documents are anticipated for release in late 2023. A report on the public consultation will be published on the TMR website when the final master planning documents are released.

Early 2021

Draft document preparation.

Late 2022 - early 2023

Public consultation and key stakeholder review.

Early - mid 2023

Submission analysis and final document preparation.

Late 2023

Final master plan and final port overlay completed.

TMR thanks the community and stakeholders for the valuable input into master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point provided during public consultation.

TMR also acknowledges the strong interest in the sustainable development of the port and the long-term protection of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the Caley Valley Wetlands.

You can download the Master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point – Public consultation insights summary – May 2023.

For more information

Website: Master planning for the priority Port of Abbot Point

Email: AbbotPointPortMasterPlan@tmr.qld.gov.au

Phone: 1300 576 744