GHD has been engaged to provide a wide range of engineering,
planning and environmental advice to the Victorian Department of
Sustainability and Environment for the proposed AUD$3.1 billion
Victorian Desalination Plant.
The project includes a desalination plant near Wonthaggi,
transfer pipeline to Melbourne, marine tunnels for the extraction
of seawater and return of concentrate to the ocean, and a power
supply for the plant.
Technical and engineering advisory services provided by GHD,
Fichtner GmbH of Germany and HydroTas include a range of studies to
assess land-side and marine geotechnical conditions, as well as
water quality sampling, monitoring and testing. These studies
allowed reference designs to be completed as part of development of
the State's Public Sector Comparator. The studies and associated
reference design have informed environmental studies required for
the Environmental Effects Statement (EES), aided the development of
technical performance requirements for the project and provided
important site condition information for the bidders. GHD and
Fichtner are also providing advisory services in reviewing the
technical aspects of the bids received.
Planning and environmental services provided by GHD and Maunsell
involve the coordination of a range of planning and environmental
studies including flora and fauna, cultural heritage, marine
ecology, waste management, air and noise, visual and landscape,
groundwater, greenhouse gas management and land use planning among
others. These studies allowed for the preparation of a
comprehensive EES involving five volumes and more than 80
specialist supporting reports along with a works approval
application.
Following an independent inquiry process, the Minister for
Planning issued a positive assessment of the project in January
2009 and the EPA issued a works approval in March 2009. The
Australian Government approved the project under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act in March 2009. GHD continues to provide planning and
environment advisory services including evaluating environmental
aspects of bids received and is overseeing archaeological salvage
at the site.
This commission elevates GHD as a leader in environmental
approvals and consolidates GHD’s leading position in desalination
and advanced treatment technologies. GHD is providing similar
services on the AUD$1.9 billion Sydney desalination project,
AUD$2.4 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water Project in Brisbane
and AUD$1.1 billion desalination project on the Gold Coast. GHD is
also undertaking a pre-feasibility study for BHP involving a
desalination plant and 300 km pipeline to supply water for the
proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam Project in South
Australia.