Western Oz Approves Burrup Peninsula Pipe

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of the government of Western Australia has recommended environmental approval to a proposed gas pipeline on the Burrup Peninsula in the Pilbara region, subject to conditions including the protection of internationally significant Aboriginal rock art, EPA said June 4.

Perth-based DDG Operations has proposed to develop and operate the Pluto North West Shelf Interconnector – a 3.3km buried steel pipeline within the Dampier to Bunbury Gas Pipe Line Corridor to connect the Pluto LNG plant and Karratha Gas Plant.

The EPA said it has recommended a condition requiring the implementation of a Cultural Heritage Management Plan to ensure the proposal does not cause long-term impacts on Aboriginal heritage values.

“The EPA’s assessment of the proposal as a whole took into account the impacts to the key environment factors of social surrounds (aboriginal heritage and culture), flora and vegetation and terrestrial fauna and the proponent’s proposed mitigation measures,” EPA chair Tom Hatton said.

The EPA also recommended a condition requiring implementation of a Construction Environmental Management Plan to minimise impacts from construction activities to the Burrup Peninsula and to fauna likely to be in the area, in particular the Northern quoll and Pilbara olive python.