ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION (SEA DUMPING) ACT 1981 MATTERS TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE FOR THE PERIOD: 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025
Pursuant to section 25 of the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981 (the Act), notice is given that:
Applications for permits received under section 18 of the Act
- An application for a permit (SD2024-4075) was received on 29 January 2025 from RTA Weipa Pty Ltd, 155 Charlotte St, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 (ACN: 137 266 285) for a permit to load for the purposes of dumping, and to dump up to 3.2 million cubic metres (in-situ) of dredged material derived from the capital dredging of the berth pocket and departure channel at the Amrun Port Facility at Weipa, Queensland.
- An application for a permit (SD2024-4076) was received on 12 February 2025 from WA Recreational and Sportfishing Council (Inc.), trading as Recfishwest, Suite 3, 45 Northside Drive, Hillarys, Western Australia, 6025 (ABN: 77 922 817 608) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 1 Nash Street, Perth, Western Australia, 6000 (ABN: 18 951 343 745) for the placement of an artificial reef for recreational fishing purposes. The reef comprises up to 300 purpose-built steel-reinforced concrete modules, located offshore approximately 40 kilometres north-west of Port Hedland, Western Australia. This application replaces application SD2024-4061, received by the department on 14 February 2024, which was withdrawn on 31 January 2025.
- An application for a permit (SD2024-4077) was received on 6 March 2025 from Candour Funerals Pty Ltd, 5 Bennetts Road, Mornington, Victoria 3931 (ACN: 682 145 982) for a burial at sea located offshore of Portland, Victoria.
- An application for a permit (SD2024-4078) was received on 6 March 2025 from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Unit 1, 21 Glasshouse Rocks Road, Narooma, New South Wales 2546 (ABN: 19 948 325 463), for the placement of an artificial reef for increasing or concentrating populations of marine plants and animals and for human recreational purposes. The reef comprises 2 purpose-built steel modules, located offshore approximately 5 kilometres south of Ballina, New South Wales.
- An application for a permit (SD2024-4079) was received on 6 March 2025 from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Unit 1, 21 Glasshouse Rocks Road, Narooma, New South Wales 2546 (ABN: 19 948 325 463), for the placement of an artificial reef for increasing or concentrating populations of marine plants and animals and for human recreational purposes. The reef comprises 2 purpose-built steel modules, located offshore approximately 2.5 kilometres south-east of Sawtell, New South Wales.
Permits granted under sections 19 and 21 of the Act
- A permit (SD2024-4064) was granted on 17 January 2025 to OceanR Pty Ltd, trading as Offshore Biotechnologies, Level 3, 28 Kay Street, Traralgon, Victoria 3844 (ACN: 656 378 862) and Director of Parks Australia, John Gorton Building, King Edward Terrace, Parkes, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (ABN: 13 051 694 963) for the placement of an artificial reef for research purposes. The reef comprises purpose-built structures consisting of 64 concrete mats, 36 limestone aggregate reefs and 8 recycled bivalve shell reefs, located offshore approximately 12 kilometres south of Cape Otway, Victoria, in the north-west corner of Apollo Marine Park. This permit is valid until 17 January 2055.
- A permit (SD2024-4065) was granted on 25 February 2025 to WA Recreational and Sportfishing Council (Inc.), trading as Recfishwest, Suite 3, 45 Northside Drive, Hillarys, Western Australia, 6025 (ABN: 77 922 817 608) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 1 Nash Street, Perth, Western Australia, 6000 (ABN: 18 951 343 745) for the placement of an artificial reef for recreational fishing purposes. The reef comprises up to 48 purpose-built concrete modules, located offshore approximately 29 kilometres north north-west of Dampier, Western Australia. This permit is valid until 26 February 2057.
- A permit (SD2025-4077) was granted on 12 March 2025 to Candour Funerals Pty Ltd, 5 Bennetts Road, Mornington, Victoria 3931 (ACN: 682 145 982) for a burial at sea located offshore of Portland, Victoria. This permit is valid until 12 April 2025.
The Minister/delegate did not require the permits to undergo an assessment in accordance with section 160 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Applications received for permit variations under section 23 of the Act
- An application for a variation to a permit (SD2018-3942) was received on 10 January 2025 from the Port of Townsville Limited, Engineering Building, Benwell Road, Townsville, Queensland 4810
(ACN: 130 077 673). The variation sought to extend the permit period by 12 months.
Permit variations granted under sections 21 and 23 of the Act
- A variation (No.3) to a permit (SD2018-3942) was granted on 6 March 2025 to the Port of Townsville Limited, Engineering Building, Benwell Road, Townsville, Queensland 4810 (ACN: 130 077 673) to extend the existing permit period by 12 months. The permit is for the loading for the purposes of dumping, and to dump up to 1,176,027 of dredged material (in-situ; remaining from the original total of 4,050,000 cubic metres), derived from maintenance dredging of the inner and outer harbour areas, swing basins and in the Platypus and Sea Channels at the Port of Townsville, Queensland. This permit is valid until 31 May 2026.
The Minister/delegate did not require the variation to this permit to undergo an assessment in accordance with section 160 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Copies of a decision by the Minister/delegate under the Act may be obtained, upon request, from the Director, Sea Dumping Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, GPO Box 3090, CANBERRA, ACT 2601.
Heather Agnew
Director
Sea Dumping Section
14 April 2025