Environment
In this section
As the project develops, many measures will be put in place to ensure that the environment will be protected during the construction and operation of the desalination plant.
Key environmental priorities are to:
- offset the energy used to operate the plant by purchasing renewable energy
- protect the marine, coastal and estuarine environment by tunnelling under the coast and adopting appropriate intake and outlet structure design
- protect ecological values near the desalination plant and other project infrastructure
- achieve the best possible design outcome to integrate the project into the coastal landscape.
The Victorian Government committed to a thorough Environment Effects Statement (EES) to look at ways to minimise the impact of the project on the environment and local community.
Seventeen studies conducted in 2007 looked at flora, fauna, cultural heritage, hydrology, geotechnical, landscaping, design and visual analysis. These were expanded on during EES studies in 2008 with more than 80 studies forming the basis of the full EES Report.
An Environmental Management Plan will guide the project and numerous approvals have been obtained from the State and Federal Governments.
The Victorian Environment Protection Authority will monitor the desalination plant’s construction and ongoing operation to ensure there is no long-term impact on the environment.