Both Houses of Parliament have approved the Project of State Significance Order (as amended), and the Premier has given the Commission a direction to undertake an integrated assessment of the Gunns proposal to develop and operate a bleached kraft pulp mill in northern Tasmania.
The Commission is now able to do all matters necessary in preparation for the assessment. This includes preparation of Draft Scope Guidelines for the Integrated Impact Statement (IIS).
The purpose of the guidelines is to assist the proponent, government and non-government agencies and the public identify what information is required to enable the Commission to undertake an integrated assessment of the project. An ‘integrated assessment’ means a consideration of environmental, social, economic and community issues relevant to that project and such other issues as may be prescribed. This means that the proponent will need to address all relevant issues in respect of the pulp mill proposal in a document called the Integrated Impact Statement (IIS).
The Commission, in consultation with State and Australian Government agencies and with the assistance of independent consultant, Beca AMEC Pty Ltd, has prepared Draft Scope Guidelines for the IIS (PDF: 866kb, 106pgs). These draft guidelines specify the issues the Commission requires Gunns to address in the draft IIS. The Guidelines will cover all of those matters that must be addressed to satisfy the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth).
On 20 December 2004 the Commission placed Preliminary Draft Scope Guidelines on its website. The Preliminary Draft Scope Guidelines provided interested persons with an indication of the type and nature of matters that Gunns would be required to address in its draft IIS including the level of detail and information required to enable the Commission to conduct an integrated assessment of the proposal.
Public exhibition of the Draft Scope Guidelines commenced by public notification on Saturday 9 April 2005 and closed on Monday 9 May 2005.
Following receipt of a Revised Project Scope from Gunns Limited the Resource Planning and Development Commission (Commission) determined that the public should have an opportunity to comment on changes in Gunns’ Revised Project Scope in the context of the Draft Scope Guidelines for the Integrated Impact Statement (IIS).
On Saturday, 5 November 2005 the Resource Planning and Development Commission (Commission) gave notification that the Report on Gunns’ Revised Project Scope and the Draft Scope Guidelines for the Integrated Impact Statement (IIS) was available for public inspection.
The report identified the changes in Gunns’ Revised Project Scope and then analysed whether or not the Draft Scope Guidelines for the IIS required amendment. These are the matters upon which the Commission invited public comment. It should be noted that the Commission did not seek further comment on the Draft Scope Guidelines for the IIS beyond the changes in Gunns’ Revised Project Scope.
All individuals, groups, agencies and organisations that made a submission on the Draft Scope Guidelines in April/May 2005 received a copy of this report.
Back to: Assessment process | On to: Stage 2 - Public exhibition of the Draft Guidelines
