History
The NSBT was declared a “Significant Project’ under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act – 15 April 2004.
This requires the Brisbane City Council (BCC) to prepare an EIS and submit it to the State Government (through the Co-ordinator General) to determine whether a recommendation is made:
- To approve the application with conditions
- To approve the application, or
- That the development application must be refused.In April the interested parties were invited to comment on the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for the EIS.
Next Steps
Once the EIS is finalised and submitted to the Co-ordinator General, subject to his approval, the EIS will go on display for 6 weeks. BCC are anticipating this will start in late February 2005. During this time people can make submissions.
Watch this space for a EIS submission pro forma.
After the public display the Co-ordinator General will review the submissions (and any additional work done) and prepare an evaluation report which make a recommendation that the application either be approved, approved with conditions, or recommend refusal.
Does this Mean the NSBT will proceed?
No.
Just because the NSBT has been declared a ‘Significant Project’ does not mean there will be an automatic 'approval’ by the State Government. Precedence exists where a recommendation to refuse has been made.
BCC is determined to proceed
BCC are anticipating that the State Government will ‘give the green light’ to proceed to the next step and are advising, through the NSBT newsletters, that tenders will be called in mid 2005.
At the same time as BCC are preparing the draft EIS they have also commissioned consultants to undertake:
· Detailed engineering concept plans
· Traffic and transport studies, and a
· Business case analysis of project delivery options and ‘value for money’ assessment.Information from the engineering and traffic and transport studies is informing the EIS process. Despite continued questions about the financial viability of the proposal the business case analysis is not part of the EIS process
Role of the Community Reference Groups
Three Community Reference Groups (CRG) have been formed. They are to provide community input to support consideration of social, environment and economic issues in the EIS and concept design.The CRG meetings that have covered such topics as the NSBT background, EIS Process, Engineering Concept Design, Air Quality, Urban Regeneration and Construction Staging/Impacts.
Consultants and interested CRG members have held ‘walks’ around each area where the portals (entry point to the tunnel) are proposed to be located.
A separate Air Quality Focus group has been formed and is briefed on the detailed air quality modelling work.
Urban Regeneration and Cyclist/Pedestrian Focus Groups have also been held.CRG meetings are scheduled to run though until 10 November 2004.
Brisbane City Council -North South Bypass Tunnel - Web Site
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E-mail: activist@rag.org.au