The proposed Traveston Crossing Dam was to be located about 27 kilometres upstream of Gympie in the Mary River catchment. Stage one of the project was intended to deliver an additional 70,000 megalitres of water per year when completed in 2011. 

Current status

The Coordinator-General’s report evaluating the EIS for the Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1 was released on 6 October 2009. In evaluating the environmental effects, the Coordinator-General considered the EIS, the supplementary report to the EIS, detailed environmental management plans prepared by the proponent, public submissions received on the EIS, and other relevant information including advice provided by state and local government authorities.

The Coordinator-General determined the project could proceed subject to a set of stringent conditions and requirements to manage potential adverse impacts. More than 1200 conditions and requirements were outlined in the Coordinator-General’s report. The Coordinator-General’s full report and information sheets are available for download below.

The state assessment of the project was conducted in accordance with the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (Qld). The Coordinator-General’s report was then sent to the Australian Government for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and the bilateral agreement between the Australian Government and the State of Queensland relating to environmental assessment.

On 2 December 2009 the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts announced his final decision under the Act, refusing the proposed action of constructing and operating the Traveston Crossing Dam against the controlling provision of listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A), on the basis of likely unacceptable impacts on listed threatened species. 

The federal minister approved the proposed action against the other controlling provisions of world heritage (sections 12 and 15A), Ramsar wetlands (sections 16 and 17B) and listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A). However, the consequence of refusing the proposed action against the listed threatened species and communities section means construction and operation of the Traveston Crossing Dam cannot proceed. 

The federal minister independently assessed the information in accordance with his powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (Cth) and the bilateral agreement. The two-tier assessment process ensures all proposed significant projects undergo a thorough and robust evaluation at state and Australian government levels. 

Overview

Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd (QWI) was both the proponent for and the entity intending to undertake the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1.  The project involved the construction and operation of a new dam on the Mary River at about adopted middle thread distance (AMTD) 207 kilometres, which is approximately 27 kilometres upstream of Gympie.

Stage 1 was planed to involve the construction of a 153,000 megalitres storage at Traveston Crossing on the Mary River to deliver up to 70,000 megalitres per year.   

Initial advice statement

On 18 September 2006 QWI lodged an initial advice statement (IAS) with the Coordinator-General for the Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1. Information made available to the public by the proponent in October 2006 and to the Commonwealth in November 2006 was based on more refined information as the design progressed. An addendum has been included with the IAS to identify such information.

Initial advice statement ( 565 KB)

• IAS - figure 3.1 ( 429 KB)
• IAS - figure 4.1 ( 962 KB)
• IAS - figure 4.2 ( 849 KB)
• IAS - figure 4.8 ( 239 KB)
• IAS - figure 4.9 ( 372 KB)
• IAS - figure 4.11 ( 1.1 MB)

Environmental impact statement process

On 20 October 2006 the Coordinator-General declared the Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1 to be a ‘significant project’ for which an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required, pursuant to section 26(1)(a) of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (Qld).

On 29 November 2006 the delegate for the Federal Minister for the Department of the Environment and Heritage decided that the project constitutes a ‘controlled action’ under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) due to the likely potential impacts on matters of national environmental significance. The controlling provisions under the Act are:

• Sections 12 and 15A (World Heritage)
• Sections 16 and 17B (Ramsar Wetlands)
• Sections 18 and 18A (Listed threatened species and communities)
• Sections 20 and 20A (Listed Migratory Species).

The EIS process is accredited under the bilateral agreement between the Australian Government and the State of Queensland and will address matters on behalf of both the Australian and Queensland governments. The EIS process was coordinated by the Department of Infrastructure and Planning on behalf of the Coordinator-General.

Terms of reference

The preparation of the terms of reference for the EIS was the first stage of the assessment process. A draft terms of reference for the EIS was prepared by the Coordinator-General for circulation to key stakeholders and the general public for comment from 9 December 2006 to 19 February 2007.

The Coordinator-General considered all submissions prior to finalising the terms of reference. The finalised terms of reference is available below:

• Terms of reference ( 324 KB)

Release of the environmental impact statement

On 17 October 2007 the Coordinator-General determined that the EIS prepared by QWI satisfactorily addressed the terms of reference. The EIS was released for public review and comment on 20 October 2007. Submissions were received between 22 October 2007 and 14 January 2008 (extended from original closing date of 3 December 2009).

• EIS executive summary ( 3.2 MB)

Extension of the submission period

A number of discrepancies were identified in relation to the various forms of the EIS, advertised on 20 October 2007. Consequently, the Coordinator-General decided to extend the submission period until the close of business on 14 January 2008.

Addendum to EIS

QWI prepared an addendum identifying the discrepancies in the documentation. The addendum report for the Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1 EIS is available below:

• Addendum report ( 57 KB)
• Attachment 1 ( 417 KB)
• Attachment 2 ( 746 KB)
• Attachment 3 ( 986 KB)
• Attachment 4 ( 670 KB)
• Attachment 5 ( 584 KB)
• Attachment 6 - figure 1A-7 ( 3.8 MB)
• Attachment 6 - figure 8A-8F ( 2.3 MB)
• Attachment 6 - figure 9A-9F ( 2.2 MB)
• Attachment 6 - figure 10A-14 ( 4.5 MB)
• Attachment 7 - part A ( 676 KB)
• Attachment 7 - part B ( 639 KB)
• Attachment 8 ( 3.1 MB)
• Attachment 9 ( 325 KB)

Supplementary report to the EIS

On 10 March 2008 the Coordinator-General wrote to QWI, requesting QWI prepare a supplementary report to the Traveston Crossing Dam EIS. The supplementary report responds to matters raised in submissions on the EIS and was considered in the preparation of the Coordinator-General’s evaluation report.

The supplementary report was submitted to the Coordinator-General in August 2008. Following consultation with advisory agencies, the Coordinator-General requested QWI prepare an addendum to the supplementary report to the Traveston Crossing Dam EIS, to address clarifications and corrections identified by the advisory agencies. The addendum report to the supplementary report on the Traveston Crossing Dam EIS was submitted to the Coordinator-General in April 2009.

Coordinator-General's request for further information

Following QWI’s submission of the supplementary report to the EIS, the Coordinator-General requested further information for consideration in his evaluation of the project. QWI’s responses to information requests are contained within the following documents:

• Response to reviewer reports


• Implementation framework


• Response to information requests.

These documents and information are available from Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd.

Further information considered by the Coordinator-General included the draft survival strategy for the Australian lungfish ( 256 KB).

Variation of the proposed action under EPBC Act

The Coordinator-General received a letter from QWI dated 13 February 2009, informing that the Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts had decided to accept QWI’s request to exclude the proposed relocation of a 10 kilometre section of the Bruce Highway as a component of the Traveston Crossing Dam project.

Read the correspondence received from QWI, the QWI letter requesting the variation of the proposed action, and the DEWHA decision to accept the variation to the proposed action ( 286 KB).

Coordinator-General’s evaluation report

The Coordinator-General completed his evaluation report for the Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1 in accordance with the requirements of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. The Coordinator-General recommended that the project could proceed subject to the conditions and recommendations contained within the Coordinator-General’s evaluation report. QWI updated commitments contained within QWI’s response to reviewer reports.

The Coordinator-General’s evaluation report for Traveston Crossing Dam project stage 1 is available below:

• Coordinator-General's full report ( 2.58 MB)
• Synopsis ( 93 KB)
• Report ( 1.01 MB)
• Appendix 1 ( 1.25 MB)
• Appendix 2 ( 509 KB)
• Appendix 3 ( 91 KB).

Information sheets

The Department of Infrastructure and Planning prepared seven information sheets about the Coordinator-General’s evaluation report for Traveston Crossing Dam. These information sheets were prepared as a brief summary and guide only, and are not a complete re-statement of the report.

• Species ( 102 KB)
• Habitat ( 114 KB)
• Water ( 114 KB)
• Land ( 286 KB)
• Social and economic ( 124 KB)
• Fishway and turtle passage ( 109 KB)
• Next steps ( 98 KB)
• Traveston Crossing Dam habitat map ( 418 KB)

Further information

For further information about the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam project contact the department’s South East Queensland Water Grid division.