Victorian Desalination Project Community Liaison Group
Minutes from Meeting Number 29 on 19 April 2012
Date: Thursday 19 April 2012
Location:
Cardinia Cultural Centre (Pakenham)
Present:
Peter Sammut (DSE)
John Nicol (Chair)
Meeka Bailey (DSE – Secretary)
Natalie Haynes (DSE)
Louisa McPhee (AquaSure)
John Ridley (AquaSure)
Steve Burns (Thiess Degrémont)
Max Tolson (Thiess Degrémont Nacap)
Karen Lee (Thiess Degrémont)
Cr Veronica Dowman (Bass Coast Shire)
Ian Anderson (Cardinia Community Representative)
Cr Beverley Hastie (City of Casey Community Representative)
Apologies:
Cr Stuart Halligan (Cardinia Council)
Chris Herbert (AquaSure)
Neville Goodwin (Bass Coast Community Representative)
Sonia Rappell (City of Casey)
1.
Welcome / Introductions / Apologies
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Mr Nicol welcomed everyone to the 29 CLG meeting and tabled apologies.
2.
Minutes of previous meeting
The minutes were adopted as drafted.
3.
DSE update
Before beginning his presentation, Mr Sammut commented to the group that he understood there
were currently concerns raised at the last CLG regarding community engagement and the project’s
link to the community through the Community Information Centre and other community
activities. He explained that this issue is also presently being discussed between AquaSure, TDJV
and DSE.
Mr Sammut updated the group on DSE activities and detailed the Independent Reviewer and
Environmental Auditor’s (IREA) findings for the month of March. There was one non‐compliance,
five areas for improvement and no observations.
The non‐compliance related to progress on internal audit process. The areas for improvement
related to:
Audit of training and awareness programs
Definition and recording of training
Container storage
Post‐construction monitoring
Marine monitoring activities.
Mr Sammut then informed the group that the Minister for Water had recently made a 0GL water
order for 2012/13. Mr Sammut noted that the first water order year does not begin until the
project is completed and fully tested (i.e until the completion of reliability testing) which is
currently scheduled for February 2013, leaving about four months of the financial year. He also
noted that the 2013/14 water order would be made by 1 April 2013, about one month after the
currently scheduled reliability testing finalisation date.
4.
AquaSure/Thiess Degrémont Presentation
Mr Burns explained to the group that commissioning is well underway throughout the entire
project. The Community Information Centre now has a new fact sheet which is available from
the Community Information Centre and a video presentation which details the commissioning
process.
The Chair asked about the ‘Commissioning Authorised’ stickers on the hard hats of people in
photographs of commissioning. Mr Burns explained that the stickers meant the workers were able to
access the plant’s computer systems.
Mr Burns showed the group an image of the reverse osmosis (RO) building roof from Lower
Powlett Road which illustrates how the plant is integrated into the landscape even before the dunes
are complete. He noted that there was still work to be done on the dunes and soon it would be
very difficult to see the plant from a distance. Another image of the RO building roof showed the
two‐toned water proofing membrane that represents rippling water.
He then showed an image of sand being spread inside a dual media pressure filter (DMPF). All 72
DMPF vessels have been loaded with gravel, 71 of 72 DMPF vessels have been loaded with sand
and 25 of 72 DMPF vessels have been loaded with anthracite.
Mr Anderson inquired if more than one person was inside the DMPF at a time to ensure
safety. Mr Sammut commented that the project was subject to an enormous amount of
scrutiny in terms of occupational health and safety from management, workers, WorkSafe and
other organisations. Mr Burns added that workers are subject to strict safety standards.
Mr Burns showed the group an image of cartridge module filters. These are like filters you can
put on your household kitchen tap to get filtered water, but much larger and provide another
level of filtration following the DMPFs.
Community update
Ms Lee gave the group an update on worker numbers on the plant site near Wonthaggi. There
are now 2605 people working on the desalination plant site.
Ms Lee informed the group that planting was recently completed on top of the RO building and
that TDJV had invited Cr Dowman to plant the last seedling on top of the RO building. The green
roof is an important part of the design, helping to integrate the desalination plant into the
landscape and minimising visual impacts on the coastline. Ms Lee also noted that planting of a
second, smaller green roof on the screen and feed building has commenced. The total green roof
system will feature over 100,000 indigenous ground covers, tussocks and low growing shrubs.
Twenty‐five different species have been carefully chosen to suit the coastal conditions of the
site.
Cr Dowman said that she was impressed with the amount of work that had been done on the green
roof and how well integrated the plant was with the landscape. She also commented that the roof
was thriving. The Chair noted that when the project had started he had seen an artist impression of
what the end result would look like and the project was really starting to look as promised. Cr
Dowman agreed and noted that the promise the plant wouldn’t impact the view to the coast was
being kept.
Ms Lee informed the group that the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Victorian Health Safety
& Environment Group) had gone on a site tour since the last CLG. There had also been a number of
presentations. These were to the Wonthaggi Club members, Mens group from the Bass Coast Shire
Council Planned Activity Group, Victoria University engineering students, and Frankston Heights
Probus Club.
Pipeline and power supply construction update
Mr Tolson detailed to the group work that has been done on the easement since the last CLG
meeting. As reported previously, construction and commissioning of the pipe is complete. The
bulk of the construction work at the booster pump station, distribution point one or
connection point at Berwick and the surge vessel at Kilcunda Ridge is now expected to be
completed in April, in readiness for final inspections and commissioning.
In the Bass Coast Shire Council area road reinstatement is currently as follows:
Roads completed – Bass Road, Eden Road
First bitumen seal completed – Turnbull‐Woolamai Road
Work commenced ‐ Woolamai Road, McGrath Road, Dalyston Glen Forbes Road, Stewart
Road.
The remaining designated haulage roads are on track to be completed in early May in the Casey
and Cardinia council areas roads and reinstatement of crossings are being progressively completed
including detailed inspections and some minor re‐work as necessary and as requested by the
councils.
Mr Tolson showed the group a number of slides which highlighted road reinstatement work being
done along Stewart and McGrath roads as well as at the Dalyston‐Glen Forbes and Eden Road
intersection. He noted that Mr Goodwin had commented to him that Stewart Road was in
better condition since reinstatement than it had been before the project started.
Ms Dowman informed the group that roads that hadn’t been designated heavy haulage had also
been subjected to significant impact during construction. She named South Dudley Road in
particular and said a negotiation process was occurring regarding costs Bass Coast Shire Council
had incurred for additional maintenance associated with this damage. Mr Tolson said that these
negotiations were ongoing and he was sure the outcome would be satisfactory to the Bass Coast
Shire Council.
Mr Tolson informed the group regarding progress with land reinstatement to 5 April 2012 on a
completed property or landowner basis. In terms of linear metres completed, subgrade or subsoil
reinstatement is 85 per cent complete, lime and gypsum spreading is 79 per cent complete,
topsoil spreading is 76 per cent complete and pasture sowing is 45 per cent complete. It is
expected that most of the reinstatement work up to topsoil spreading and pasture sowing
should be completed by the end of April.
The reinstatement crews re‐commenced work after Easter on 16 April and as work is completed
crews and machinery will be demobilised from the end of April to mid‐May. During May
landscaping and tree planting is planned for completion. After May there will be a senior
supervising engineer, a land liaison officer and a crew for remaining work including fencing and
maintenance, as well as contracted weeds monitoring and spraying. It is expected the
Independent Rehabilitation Consultant will remain active as needed.
Where pasture has established sufficiently or where there is no livestock on the property a
number of landholders have expressed an interest in taking back their land as soon as
possible; the handover process is being worked through in response to these requests.
Mr Anderson asked if there were still seven crews working on reinstatement. Mr Tolson
informed the group that there were currently six crews working which would be reduced to two
crews at the end of April. Mr Anderson asked if there was only one person sowing pasture. Mr
Tolson confirmed that there was one contractor responsible for sowing pasture and that this
contractor had plenty of equipment.
Mr Tolson informed the group that this would be his last CLG meeting as he is being demobilised at
the end of April. He noted that Tom Everitt was being demobilised at the end of May and that
Peter Whitty would continue on until September / October. Peter Logan would continue
Landowner Liaison work being done after that time. Mr Tolson stressed to the group that he
believed that these people would be able to appropriately work with landowners on any
ongoing issues.
Mr Tolson concluded by thanking the group and stating that it had been a pleasure working with a
group so professionally minded people. He also noted that he had enjoyed working with the
community and that their patience and understanding had been terrific. The Chair thanked Mr
Tolson for his contribution noting that he had fit in incredibly well, and was always
forthcoming and courteous. The group agreed and thanked Mr Tolson.
5.
Community representatives
Cr Dowman informed the group that Bass Coast Shire Council had been presented with an oil
painting of the desalination plant by Mr John Barraclough of TDJV at the last council meeting. She
noted that a small number of people had shown up to the meeting and left in protest while she
had been presented with the painting. Cr Dowman explained that the project is important and
would be forever captured in Bass Coast Shire’s history. Cr Dowman then thanked TDJV.
Cr Dowman then tabled a question that she had received with regard to the Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) phase Environment Management Plan (EMP). Mr Sammut undertook to
provide the correspondent with a response which explained the approval process required
before the O&M EMP could be considered complete and published.
Ms McPhee commented that once it was complete, the O&M EMP would be published on the
AquaSure website. Mr Sammut noted that the O&M EMP was not required until the O&M
phase of the project. As the project was still in the design and construction (D&C) phase, the
D&C EMP was in place. Mr Burns commented that the O&M EMP was a work in progress and
would be completed at the appropriate time, but before the O&M phase.
Ms Lee noted that the Community Information Centre and Community Contact Line had both
received a number of enquiries from a community group regarding the O&M EMP and that the
response from them had always been consistent – once completed, AquaSure would determine
if the document would be published on the AquaSure website.
Mr Sammut commented that in all his years of working on major construction projects, he had
never seen so much information regarding a project released publically when considering all
of the information that has been released. This sort of transparency not common.
Cr Hastie commented that she was looking forward to the tour to Mr Anderson’s property and of
sections of the easement. She also noted that Ms Bailey and Mr Tolson were scheduled to present
to Casey Council in the near future. She asked if Mr Tolson’s departure would affect that
presentation. Mr Tolson assured Ms Hastie that someone would be arranged to take his place.
Mr Sammut commented that TDJV will need to consider an appropriately senior representative.
6.
Other Items
There were no other items.
7.
Tour of the easement
The group participated in a tour of the easement starting at Mr Anderson’s property in Nar Nar
Goon which provided the example of the Bass Gas Pipeline on an immediately adjacent asparagus
farm. The signage used to identify the pipeline was clearly observed along with the marker used to
show the change in pipe direction for aerial inspections. It was noted that SP AusNet was also
intending to use aerial inspections for the desalination project underground power cable.
The bus tour of the Victorian Desalination Project easement then included:
McDonalds Drain reinstatement (nearing completion)
Various stages of reinstatement on a number of properties on Pound Road and description of weed
spraying and re‐sowing that would occur under advice from an agronomist
Northern Compensation Station and Booster Pump Station landscaping, painting and final
construction works
Delivery Point 3 and monitoring station to monitor water quality
Markers for power cable and pipeline on various properties
Koo Wee Rup Recreational Reserve where some haul road material had been provided for the
horse riding club. PLJV had also done work on the parking area for this reserve in return for
workers parking at the site
Main Drain Road South where the pipe is directly under the road and a valve near the corner of
Daleys Rd which will be secured by a guard rail
The Berwick pipetrack (parkland and pathway) and work being completed at Talinga Circuit at the
connection to the Melbourne Water network.
Meeting closed 12:30pm
8.
Next meeting
To be held 17 May 2012 at 10.00am at Bass Coast Shire Council.