ACTEW welcomes ACT environmental approval for Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer

ACTEW today welcomed the second of three jurisdictional approvals required for the Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer with the ACT Minister for Planning, Andrew Barr MLA, deeming the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) complete.

ACTEW Managing Director Mark Sullivan said “This represents a significant milestone in the planning approvals process and follows last month’s approval of the project by the New South Wales Minister for Planning, The Hon Tony Kelly MLC”.

“The ACT approval confirms that we are working hard to minimise environmental impacts of the project – that we have good measures in place to improve the health of the Murrumbidgee River, protect Burra Creek and ensure sound rehabilitation of land and vegetation affected by the new infrastructure”.

“ACTEW is now very confident of receiving the remaining approvals so the Murrumbidgee to Googong project can commence later this year”, he said.

Mr Sullivan said the ACT approval process was extremely rigorous and comprehensive.

The ACT EIS included detailed technical analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the project by experts in hydrology, geomorphology, aquatic ecology, terrestrial biodiversity, cultural heritage and community impacts. The draft EIS was available for public exhibition comment from August – September 2009, with community feedback received during this time leading to some project modifications which were included in the final EIS.

ACTEW’s final environmental report, the Draft Public Environment Report to the Commonwealth Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts is currently on public exhibition and available for comment until 24 May 2010.

Mr Sullivan said he encouraged members of the public to view and comment on the document, which outlines proposed measures to manage the project’s potential impacts on matters of national environmental significance and elements of the project that are located on Commonwealth owned land.

The Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer is a key component of ACTEW’s plan to ensure long-term water security for the ACT and Queanbeyan.
The project involves transferring up to 100 megalitres per day from the Murrumbidgee River through a 13 kilometre underground pipeline to Burra Creek in NSW. The water will then flow approximately 10 kilometres down Burra Creek into Googong Reservoir.

Approval of the EIS means that ACTEW can now submit a Development Application for the project to the ACT Planning and Land Authority.
The Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer will take approximately 18 months to complete from the start of construction.

STATEMENT ENDS