SYDNEY PORTS. Protecting the Environment

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1 SYDNEY PORTS Protecting the Environment

2 An environment worth protecting Managing port operations in Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and adjacent port land means protecting the fragile environment in which the Sydney Ports Corporation operates. As part of our ongoing commitment to the protection of the environment, Sydney Ports strives to ensure that all its operations are carried out in accordance with strict health, safety and environmental requirements. Sydney Harbour is renowned as one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. Its rocky reef shelves, intertidal zones, kelp beds and seagrass beds all provide homes for an abundance of marine species. Similarly, Botany Bay with its mangroves, sand flats, dunes, beaches, estuaries and wetlands provide a habitat for a variety of native flora and fauna, as well as migratory birds. Some 2,300 cargo ships visit Sydney s ports in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay each year. Charter boats, ferries and recreational vessels also use port waters. 2

3 Our responsibilities Because Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay are such significant landmarks and contain valuable habitats, it s important for them to be protected. Sydney Ports Corporation is licensed by the NSW Government with the responsibility for key environmental activities: 1 Administration of dangerous goods regulations Sydney Ports must ensure that goods are transported and stored in ways that reduce risk to human health and the environment. Audits are conducted on dangerous goods and bulk liquids movements, fuel transfers and the maintenance of cargo vessels.where requirements are not adhered to, action is taken Provision of 24 hour emergency response Staff are on call around the clock to respond to any port emergency. Clean-up and investigation of spills Sydney Ports provides equipment and staff to investigate and clean up oil and other spills within Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and within three nautical miles of the coastline. Support and assistance is also provided to other states and the Northern Territory. Prosecution of spill offenders Under the Marine Pollution Act, Sydney Ports is authorised to prosecute offenders in the NSW Land and Environment Court for all oil and chemical spills from ships within the port. Provision of a 24 hour environmental reporting point A telephone line operates all day and night to take calls from the public or shipping industries and reports of spills or other emergencies. 3

4 Planning ahead The management of Sydney Ports environmental responsibilities is undertaken through an environmental management system based on ISO 14001: In addition to its key environmental responsibilities, Sydney Ports Corporation is also taking a proactive approach towards improving environmental conditions and managing impacts on local communities. A range of initiatives are implemented to reduce the effects of port activities on the sea, the land and the air and to manage environmental impacts in local communities. Landuse planning All new development undertaken by Sydney Ports must adhere to the principles of ecologically sustainable development. Air and noise pollution, contamination, flora and fauna, risk, visual impacts, waste and heritage assessments are all considered and assessed by Sydney Ports before any development is undertaken. Working with our port operators Sydney Ports seeks to ensure its lessees act in an environmentally responsible manner. Environmental clauses are included in all leases and environmental management plans are required to ensure all relevant federal, state and local regulations are being met and best management practices are adopted. Audit reviews allow the opportunity to develop programs and procedures designed to minimise potential impacts from port operations. 4

5 Ballast water management Surveys of Port Jackson and Port Botany were undertaken to identify types and numbers of introduced marine pest species.the survey results are used to reduce the risk of additional harmful species being introduced into Australia s marine environment via ships ballast water. Water pollution management Sydney Ports liaises closely with lessees, councils and the Environment Protection Authority regarding contamination from incidents and activities on its land with the potential to impact on water or groundwater quality and ecosystems. Coastal zone management As part of our commitment to the ongoing protection of Botany Bay, beaches and seagrasses are monitored regularly using aerial and other photography. Beach surveys are also conducted every six to 12 months and this data is used to create sophisticated models of long-term beach movements that allow steps to be taken to avoid erosion. The Corporation is also leading a group of government agencies on a project to restore Lady Robinsons Beach on the western shore of Botany Bay. We are also involved in beach stabilisation and the creation of habitat for little terns in the bay (see case study on page 7). Noise from port operations Sydney Ports has introduced noise management and reduction plans to minimise the impact of noise on residents and the community.these plans have been developed in conjunction with the community, facility operators and local authorities. Options studied have included train loading/unloading schedules, provision of shore power to vessels, modification to vessel exhaust systems, provision of acoustic barriers, noise level limits for vessels, modifications to mobile equipment and traffic management plans. Vessel waste control Vessels that use Sydney s ports generate oily waste water, garbage and quarantine waste. Processes are in place to prevent pollution of the environment during the transfer of this waste to land. 5

6 Working with our local community Sydney Ports Corporation understands that activities on Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay affect all members of local communities. People live and play around the port foreshores and port waters are used by commuters and private operators, as well as by commercial vessels. Sydney Ports facilitates or participates in many community activities and committees. The aim of these activities is to provide an opportunity for open dialogue with the community, port customers and tenants so that they are informed about port-related activities, and have an opportunity to raise local community concerns and canvass solutions. The committees include the Shell Gore Bay Community Consultative Committee, the Botany and Eastern Region Environment Protection Association and the Orica Groundwater Community Liaison Committee. The Corporation also chairs the White Bay/Glebe Island Noise Reference Committee, the Port Botany Neighbourhood Consultative Committee and the Botany Bay Coastal Management Committee. 6

7 Case study Lady Robinsons Beach restoration Sydney Ports has taken a leading role in the management of Botany Bay beaches, in particular Lady Robinsons Beach on the western shore of the Bay (pictured left). This beach has suffered erosion over most of its length as a result of natural coastal processes and changed wave conditions due to dredging and reclamation in the Bay. Following the success of the restoration of the southern section of the beach at Ramsgate in 1997, Sydney Ports will complete restoration of the remainder of the beach to the north in 2003, with construction of five rock groynes and placement of 305,000 cubic metres of renourishment sand from a beach shoal at Dolls Point. The restoration projects were initiated by Sydney Ports and a funding consortium of local, State and Federal government agencies was established for the works. The restoration works on the southern section of the beach have since withstood some major storms without degradation of the re-established beach amenity. Sydney Ports and the contractor won the 1998 NSW Case Earth Award for the restoration project on the merits of its environmental values. Five groynes will be built on the northern section of the beach which will be renourished with sand and planted with dune stabilisation grass to provide a wide stable beach. Part of the project is a fouryear study to annually map the various seagrass species in Botany Bay, to assist NSW Fisheries with management of the fisheries resources of the Bay. With the completion of the northern beach restoration expected at the end of 2003, the western shore of Botany Bay will again be a continuous stable sandy beach over its whole seven kilometre length from Sandringham to Kyeemagh. 7

8 Sydney Ports Corporation environmental policy Sydney Ports developed its environmental policy statement in 1994.The policy is reinforced by the objectives of the Ports Corporatisation and Waterways Management Act and the Corporation s key roles relating to the environment and the community. This policy highlights the Corporation s commitment to responsible environmental management and is the foundation of our environmental management system.the policy, summarised below, outlines the Corporation s commitment to: protect and preserve the environment of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay and adjacent port land comply with health, safety and environment laws and take corrective action where deficiencies are detected minimise the environmental risk and impact of port development on the port and surrounding community implement the Dangerous Goods Regulations diligently to achieve safe and efficient handling of such cargoes minimise the use of raw materials, toxic substances, energy, water and other resources maintain 24-hour response capability for any incident within the port boundary develop training programs to maintain a high level of environmental and safety awareness and emergency preparedness cooperate with other regulatory authorities, contractors, tenants and other port users to uphold its responsibilities, and set strategies and implement actions to achieve continual improvement in its safety and environmental performance. Principal office and address Level 8, 207 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Postal address PO Box 25 Millers Point NSW 2000 Australia Telephone Facsimile enquiries@sydneyports.com.au Website