This proposal is a major project being assessed under Part 3A of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (the EP&A Act). The EP&A Act integrates the planning and assessment regime that requires approval from the Minister for Planning and incorporates approvals and authorisations required under other NSW legislation.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) (EPBC Act) provides for a Commonwealth assessment and approval of proposals that have a significant impact on ‘matters of national environmental significance’. Part 13 of the EPBC Act identifies a list of threatened species, threatened communities and key threatening processes. The Proponent will make an EPBC referral for determination by the Commonwealth.
Status
Following review and consultation amongst NSW agencies, the Department of Planning has issued the Director General’s Requirements (DGRs) which provide the specific requirements for the Environmental Assessment.
Epuron is in the process of preparing an Environmental Assessment for the proposal in accordance with the requirements of the EP&A Act including the Director General’s Requirements. This includes detailed expert assessment of key environmental issues, and is being prepared in parallel with detailed community consultation.
Epuron will lodge the final Environmental Assessment which will then be placed on public exhibition and assessed by the Department of Planning before consideration by the Minister for Planning. The Department of Planning will invite submissions from community and public stakeholders during the public exhibition period and will consider the issues raised in any submissions in determining the application.