DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AND ECONOMICS

Development Finance and Economics

Development Finance and Economics

The physical identification of environmental aspects of the proposal may identify site-specific vulnerable habitats, watercourses, architectural/historic features and social issues. Permits adjustments of design brief at initial stages. This paper would identify risks and environmental aspects requiring mitigation within the proposal, e.g. presence of contaminants, methane, groundwater etc, Will require controls for disposal of contaminated spoil and protection of groundwater.

Risk analysis

The 'key issues' identified in the construction of commercial industrial park include:

land use and transport

social and economic impacts

noise and vibration

non-Indigenous heritage

ecology

hydrology.

An additional key issue, visual impact, was identified in the project. While classified as an 'other issue' within this Environmental Assessment, this issue has also been carefully considered to ensure that impacts are appropriately managed.

Identification of 'other issues', likely to be of lower environmental risks, has also occurred; however, these 'other issues' are considered able to be dealt with adequately using standard controls and management measures. The criteria used for the environmental risk analysis are described in Table below:

Risk category

Description

A

Project may have a medium to high level impact. Investigations are required to determine the level of potential impact and to identify appropriate measures to manage the effects.

B

Project may have a low to medium level of impact. However, the environmental impacts can be reduced to an acceptable level through the use of standard or identified management measures.

C

Project would have a low level impact manageable through the use of standard measures.

During the preparation of the Environmental Assessment, Indigenous heritage was identified as being a key issue, due to the presence of archaeologically sensitive sites (including Potential Archaeological Deposits (PADs) and isolated finds) within the Project area. Due to these heritage constraints, Indigenous heritage was assessed as a key issue within this Environmental Assessment.

Other risks include the following:

Potential land use and transport impacts of the Project include (but are not limited to) some land acquisition, changes to existing land use patterns, temporary and long-term changes to access arrangements during construction and operation of the Project, and increased traffic during construction.

Social and economic impacts would particularly be related to the relocation of Schofields Station, and the potential for business impacts and community severance. Other impacts could include amenity impacts (e.g. noise and visual). (Joel 2008:22-25)

Potential noise and vibration impacts would result from both the construction and operation of the Project. While the rail corridor is existing infrastructure, the duplication would provide for increased train frequencies and train pass-by events, which would increase noise and vibration levels at adjacent land uses.

Much of the existing rail corridor is flood prone. There is potential for the new track and stations to exacerbate flooding in the area.

The main visual impacts would be associated with the construction of the new stations footbridges, which would create dominant visual elements in the rural/bushland landscape and would affect views from residential areas. These impacts are likely to be less significant in the long term as the area is developed in accordance with the plans for the construction of the ...