Latest news with #SonyaKilkenny
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Plan to move 2500 residents onto former dump and quarry full of unstable ‘slime'
A developer is pushing for the third time to build 1100 new homes on a toxic former quarry and rubbish tip in Melbourne's south-east, even though the site is filled with pits of decaying and solid waste piles, and enormous slurry-like 'slimes' that plunge up to 20 metres beneath the surface. Developer Sterling Global has bypassed the local council and sought state government approval to build on the former sand mine in Oakleigh South, described by a resident group as a 'Frankenstein site'. Planning documents show contaminants detected at the site include methane, asbestos, naphthalene, arsenic, heavy metals and 'forever chemical' PFAS. The unstable nature of the slimes – a byproduct of sand mining – threatens the long-term settlement of buildings and other infrastructure, the documents say. Since 2016, Sterling Global has tried to push through its plans to house about 2500 people on the sprawling 19-hectare site, which was mined for four decades until the '90s and also hosted a landfill in the 1970s. Monash Council abandoned the 2016 request to rezone the site to develop townhouses and apartments, requiring a thorough addressing of soil contamination and geotechnical issues. The developer undertook further work and made a second attempt in 2022, which the council did not progress. Then, in 2023, Sterling Global bypassed the council by taking its plan – dubbed 'Talbot Village' – directly to Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. She has now released for consultation a draft planning scheme amendment to rezone the site as requested by the developer. Kilkenny asked a standing advisory committee to investigate whether there was sufficient technical information to proceed to the next planning stage. It published a report in September last year supporting the developer's level of investigation to date.
The Age
2 days ago
- General
- The Age
Plan to move 2500 residents onto former dump and quarry full of unstable ‘slime'
A developer is pushing for the third time to build 1100 new homes on a toxic former quarry and rubbish tip in Melbourne's south-east, even though the site is filled with pits of decaying and solid waste piles, and enormous slurry-like 'slimes' that plunge up to 20 metres beneath the surface. Developer Sterling Global has bypassed the local council and sought state government approval to build on the former sand mine in Oakleigh South, described by a resident group as a 'Frankenstein site'. Planning documents show contaminants detected at the site include methane, asbestos, naphthalene, arsenic, heavy metals and 'forever chemical' PFAS. The unstable nature of the slimes – a byproduct of sand mining – threatens the long-term settlement of buildings and other infrastructure, the documents say. Since 2016, Sterling Global has tried to push through its plans to house about 2500 people on the sprawling 19-hectare site, which was mined for four decades until the '90s and also hosted a landfill in the 1970s. Monash Council abandoned the 2016 request to rezone the site to develop townhouses and apartments, requiring a thorough addressing of soil contamination and geotechnical issues. The developer undertook further work and made a second attempt in 2022, which the council did not progress. Then, in 2023, Sterling Global bypassed the council by taking its plan – dubbed 'Talbot Village' – directly to Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. She has now released for consultation a draft planning scheme amendment to rezone the site as requested by the developer. Kilkenny asked a standing advisory committee to investigate whether there was sufficient technical information to proceed to the next planning stage. It published a report in September last year supporting the developer's level of investigation to date.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Victoria says it is getting out of gas – so why has it approved a new LNG import terminal?
Victoria has approved a plan to bring in gas by sea from other states and even overseas, giving the go-ahead to a gas import terminal near Geelong. Viva Energy's import terminal, which would enable up to 160 petajoules (PJ) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be shipped to Victoria each year – about 88% of the state's gas consumption – still requires approval under federal environmental laws. The state's planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, said her decision to approve the project was 'striking the right balance between development and environmental responsibility' and would not undermine Victoria's target of net zero emissions by 2045. But the Victorian Greens leader, Ellen Sandell, condemned the decision, calling the project 'polluting [and] unnecessary'. So, why is a state that's transitioning to renewable energy, and getting off fossil gas, planning to import more? Viva Energy's proposed LNG import terminal is located in Corio Bay, 7km from Geelong and about 75km south-west of Melbourne. It includes a new floating terminal and extended pier to allow LNG cargo ships to dock and turn, and regasification and treatment plants to store and convert the LNG back into gas, to be fed into the network via a new 7km pipeline. Once built, the terminal will operate for about 20 years. As well the terminal, pier and pipeline infrastructure, the plan requires about 490,000 cubic metres of seabed to be dredged for cargo ship access. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter The site is located next to the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site, a wetland of international significance that regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds and contains seagrass beds that are a nursery for fish. Before it can proceed, the plan still has to gain approval under federal environmental laws, and other technical and heritage consents. Victoria uses a lot of gas – about 180PJ a year – with the largest share used in buildings, mostly for space heating. That demand is declining as homes and businesses switch from gas to renewable electricity, and as the share of renewable energy grows towards Victoria's target of 95% by 2035. But the Australian energy market operator (Aemo) is still expecting gas shortfalls in Victoria from 2029, due to dwindling gas supply from fields in Bass Strait, and as coal-fired power stations prepare to close. This leaves Victoria more heavily reliant on gas piped in from the north: New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. 'It's all interconnected,' says Monash University engineer Graham Palmer. 'But the peak demand for gas in winter is greater than what the pipelines can deliver from the north.' One solution to that gap is to use less gas, hesays, although the process of transitioning the state's 1.7m homes with gas heating to efficient electric alternatives would be likely to take many years. The other option in the short to medium term is to store more gas in Victoria, he says – or, as the terminal proposal will allow for, import it as LNG from other states. 'Unfortunately, we're going to be dependent upon gas for some time,' Palmer says. 'On the one hand, there's the motivation to get off all fossil fuels, but we can't do it instantly, and this is the challenge. 'People interested in climate change are trying to grapple with the challenge of trying to manage these trade-offs.' Kevin Morrison, an Australian gas analyst for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, says the process of freezing gas into LNG and converting it back is inefficient and emissions intensive. Australia has plenty of gas, most of which is exported as LNG, Morrison says, and about 8% of the gas used to make LNG is consumed in the process of freezing the gas to liquefy it for export. 'The side-effect is that the whole LNG supply chain is much more emissions intensive, because you are using all this energy.' The Australian Industry Group said the import terminal's approval was a boost for industry in Victoria, particularly given reliance on gas as a fuel source. 'While overall state gas use is gradually shrinking, Victoria's heavy industry, in particular, relies on gas and there is real concern that gas supplies could run short in the state within a few years,' Ai Group's Victorian head, Tim Piper, said. 'We need an all-of-the-above energy strategy to avoid that. An import terminal is one important tool in the belt, along with expanded north-south pipelines, local supply development, alternative supply from renewable gas, and efficient electrification.' 'Renewable gas' usually refers to a mix of hydrogen and fossil gas. Conservation groups were disappointed by the decision and remain concerned about the effect on emissions and the environment. 'Investing in new gas infrastructure locks us into decades of emissions at a time when urgent climate action is needed,' Jane Spence, a spokesperson for Geelong Sustainability said. Rivers and nature campaign manager at Environment Victoria, Greg Foyster, said: 'As the electricity system shifts to renewable energy, fossil gas could become Victoria's biggest climate problem. The smartest solution remains helping households and businesses shift to efficient electric appliances.'
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Gas storage terminal for Victoria gets state government approval
A proposed gas storage terminal off the coast of Geelong with capacity to supply most of Victoria is closer to being built following approval by the state government. The Viva Energy Gas Import Terminal Project is designed to shore up the state's gas supply before a forecast shortfall by 2029. The project would consist of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage ship docked in Corio Bay off Refinery Pier, and 7 kilometres of new pipeline to link up to the existing gas network. Viva Energy is yet to say if it will go ahead with the project, with the company still assessing the business case. The Victorian government is not responsible for funding the project, but has a role in providing the necessary approvals for it to proceed. Among these is environmental approval via an Environmental Effects Statement from Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, which she announced on Thursday. Ms Kilkenny found "the potential impacts of the project can be managed with strengthened environmental management practices and [if] amended mitigation measures are adopted", a government statement read. "If successful, the Viva Energy Terminal can receive up to 160 petajoules (PJ) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum — approximately 88 per cent of Victoria's 2024 gas consumption." The project is intended to be a cost-effective solution for the vast majority of Victorian households reliant on gas-powered cooking and heating. Viva Energy said construction of the gas import terminal would take two years, but has not said yet when construction would start as the project is yet to get the final go-ahead. The project would enable gas from from Australia and around the world to be brought in and deposited in a permanently moored storage unit. "One of the key advantages of our LNG terminal is its flexibility to scale up supply during periods of peak gas demand, ensuring that households and businesses in Victoria will have a reliable gas supply all year round," Viva Energy's chief strategy officer, Lachlan Pfeiffer, said. He said the new gas terminal would provide "important firming capacity to support the renewable energy sector as coal retires from the energy system". Mr Pfeiffer said the company would now work to lock in large-scale gas market participants in order to firm up the business case for a final decision on whether the project could proceed. Victoria is facing a looming natural gas shortage because supply traditionally taken from Bass Strait is running out. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has forecast a supply shortfall by 2029. Mr Pfeiffer has previously said the terminal was the only complete gas solution for Victoria that could be delivered in time for predicted shortfalls in the winter of 2028. The proposed gas project, a few hundred metres off the Geelong shoreline, has attracted vehement opposition from locals and environmental groups who have argued it will be located too close to homes and businesses. The Victorian Greens condemned the state government for giving its approval, saying the party had been campaigning against the project alongside local communities since 2022. "Victorian Labor have turned their backs on our bay environment, on the health and safety of communities in Geelong, and on our climate," Deputy Victorian Greens leader Sarah Mansfield said.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Fosterville Gold Mine expansion plans approved by Victoria's planning minister
Victoria's largest gold mine has been given the green light to expand by the state government, despite the concerns of neighbouring residents. Fosterville Gold Mine, 20 kilometres east of Bendigo, plans to extend its underground operations and build the infrastructure it needs to keep mining for at least another 10 years. It includes construction of new tailings storage, a brine evaporation pond and a waste rock dump. Fosterville Gold Mine's operations caused a 3.6 magnitude earthquake last November, resulting in 12 reports of building damage from nearby residents. Last year, members of the community told an inquiry assessing the environmental impacts of the extension proposal they had been kept awake by noise from the mine and underground blasting had damaged their homes. Hydrologist Phillip Macumber reviewed the plans on behalf of a group of residents and told the inquiry it was his opinion "the whole mine system is contaminating groundwater and surface water systems". However, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has approved the mine's environmental effects statement (EES), ruling the potential impacts can be acceptably managed, provided the mine adopts stronger environmental management practices and amended mitigation measures. One resident, who declined to be named, said they were "shocked and devastated" by the decision, but needed more details before commenting further. The inquiry has recommended a new surface water monitoring system to minimise the impacts on groundwater and local waterways, and better monitoring of noise, vibration and air quality. "We're making sure safeguards are in place to protect the environment, while also creating more jobs and boosting Bendigo's economy," Ms Kilkenny said. The mine's proposal now needs approvals from the Commonwealth, the Environment Protection Authority, and a work plan assessment, but the approval of the EES is a major milestone. Fosterville Gold Mine is operated by Canadian-based mining company Agnico Eagle and is one of Greater Bendigo's major employers. According to the mine's operators, the expansion will boost the local economy by $1.3 billion over the next decade and increase its workforce to more than 1,000 workers, from around 800. "We are pleased to have received the minister's decision on the EES for the sustained operations project," a mine spokesperson said in a statement. Some residents broke down as they told last year's seven-week public inquiry about living near the mine. They detailed concerns about their health and the environment, and the intrusion of noise, dust and vibrations on their homes in recent years. According to the mine's proposal, about 250 residential properties may sustain "cosmetic damage" from the largest predicted seismic event in the next decade. A noise nuisance case brought by two Axedale residents against the mine is set to go to trial in Victoria's Supreme Court later this year. There were also hundreds of submissions in support of the mine, including from workers and their families. Many community groups and event committees also told the inquiry they relied on funding through the mine's grant programs.
