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About the ESD Public Submission Process | Tips for writing your submission | Send your Submission | What happens to your submission | Background to the submission process
Call for Public Submission call by the EPA (Environment Protection Authority) one the Mangles Bay Tourism Precinct, Canal/Marina Development. Proponents/Developers are Cedar Woods Propoerties Ltd. and LandCorp.
Submissions close: Monday 21/02/2011.
Background information and Resources:
- Development plans release February 2011 (Download LargeScale pdf of plans here (35MG)
- Draft ESD Scoping Document (pdf)
- Strategic Environmental Review (2006) (pdf)
Click on image below to enlarge – Development Options
About the ESD Public Submission Process
Please send the EPA brief comments on the draft Environmental Scoping Document (ESD) by Monday 21 February 2011.
Please click here to download the draft version of the ESD.
Please refer to the EPA website under ESDs and Mangles Bay for further information.
The ESD is not the Public Environmental Review. The ESD is what the EPA uses to tell the developers what research they need to do and what they need to do to fix up environmental damage that they cause. Specifically there are three issues to comment on
1. Level of assessment. Given the difficult nature of the project this should be as high as possible. 10 weeks for public comment is not enough and should be extended to allow people and groups with limited resources to do research and prepare submissions.
2.Issues to be researched by the developer: We need to list any environmental issues that we think are missing from the draft or that we do not think the EPA has been tough enough on. What other environmental issues does the EPA need to insist that the developer study? How do you think the developer should do those studies?
3. Management issues once the project is completed: We should list any thing that we think is missing from the draft that the developer should be required to take account of after the project is constructed? What environmental damage is the project likely to do and what should the developers be required to do to make it good? Who should pay and for how long? Developers will claim that they can provide offsets for loss of vegetation and seagrass. Are offsets really possible?
4. Comment on the amount of ‘spin’, baseless assertions, misleading claims, lack of objectivity and balance. The proponents claims of extensive community in particular could be challenged by most people.
You will find the information by searching: ESD: Mangles Bay Tourism Based Precinct on the EPA website. http://www.epa.wa.gov.au/public-comment/Pages/Open-for-submissions.aspx?
Tips on Making Submissions for Public comment
Excerpt from EPA….
- Informed comments are most useful, so find out as much as you can by attending open days, reading documents relating to the proposal or policy, talking to neighbours or interest groups, etc.
- Your submission does not need to be long or complex. Your opinions, your reasons for them and your suggestions are the most important parts. If you are not sure, ask the EPA for advice.
- State clearly your view and reasons for it.
- Say how your concerns might be addressed and your reasons for it.
- Provide references to any factual data such as scientific reports.
- Use photographs, maps or sketches if possible.
- Group your points under the relevant section or chapter of the proponent’s review or draft policy.
- The EPA prefers written submissions, but you may also put your thoughts on tape.
- You can make your submission in a language other than English. The EPA will arrange for a translation.
Send your submission
- It must reach the EPA by the advertised closing date. Remember to print your name and address and the date you made the submission.
- Attach copies of any factual information, maps, etc you wish to provide.
- Give details of the source of any published information you quote.
- Tell the EPA if you are prepared to have all or part of your submission quoted or if you are prepared to be identified.
- Your submission will normally be publicly available, but if you prefer to have it kept confidential, you should include reasons why it should be held in confidence.
- The EPA will respect such confidence, but you should note that this cannot be guaranteed under the Freedom of Information Act.
You can make your submission online or send it to:
The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority
The Atrium, 168 St George’s Tce, Perth 6000
What happens to your submissions?
The EPA will notify you that your submission has been received. In the case of a submission on a draft policy or guideline, it will be processed by the officer who is developing the document. The issues raised in all submissions will be summarised and the EPA may modify its policy or guideline based on those submissions. In the case of a submission on a development proposal, it will be processed by the assessment officer who is preparing the EPA’s report. The concerns raised in all submissions will be summarised and sent to the proponent.
The proponent will be required to prepare a written response to the issues raised in the summary of the submissions to the satisfaction of the EPA. The proponent may also modify the proposal to address the concerns. After the public submission period, the EPA will prepare an assessment report on the proposal that will recommend to the Minister for Environment if the proposal should go ahead and any conditions that should be applied to protect the environment.
Summaries of the issues raised in submissions will be included in the EPA’s report. These summaries will allow you to see how your concerns were taken into account. A list of people or groups making submissions will also appear in the report. Appeals If you feel the proponent has not properly addressed the concerns you raised in your submissions, you may lodge an appeal with the WA Appeals Convenor, who investigates and provides advice to the Minister for Environment in respect to appeals made under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. For information on the different types of appeal or to lodge an appeal, please visit the Office of the Appeals Convenor website at www.appealsconvenor.wa.gov.au.
Background to the EPA submission process
Providing opportunities for public participation is an integral part of environmental impact assessment and developing sound environmental protection policies in Western Australia. The EPA publishes all documents open for public comment on this page. As part of the assessment process, it is important for the EPA to be informed of people’s views on proposals that will change the way land is used. Amendments to the Environmental Protection Act 1986 in late November 2010 mean that you can now comment on referred proposals at the beginning of the process.
Your input will help the EPA decide whether or not to assess the proposal, and if so, what level of assessment should apply. You may have useful information that is not known to others, especially if you live or work in the area of proposed development. By telling the EPA your opinion, contributing knowledge and making suggestions, you will help us to make better recommendations to the Minister for Environment. The Minister can then use this information to decide whether the project will go ahead and under what conditions. You also have the opportunity to comment on draft policies and guidelines.
For most types of policy and guidance documents the EPA introduces a period for public consultation in which any organisation or member of the public can submit feedback on the draft. Most documents will include a diagram so you can see the stage at which public comment is being considered and what happens afterwards. Don’t think that you are only one voice and you won’t make a difference. Just one well-reasoned submission that raises a valid concern or offers a constructive suggestion can be very helpful and important.
Please see EPA website for more information:
http://www.epa.wa.gov.au/public-comment/Pages/submission.aspx
