Another significant milestone has been reached for the Critical Infrastructure Program since the May community consultation. As you may have read in our previous householder, an Expression of Interest (EOI) has been released for stage one of procurement of a New Vessel and an Operations and Maintenance contract.

An Engagement Outcomes summary report has been completed based on feedback from stage one of the Program. The report, available here, provides an overview of what we heard from the community and stakeholders:

Feedback indicated general support for an upgrade of the existing waste management facility and procurement of a new vessel, with various ideas about the specific design of these elements of the Program. A key issue raised by members of the community was the viability of the South Zone for locating the marine infrastructure, which will be dependent on relevant technical studies. 

Progress includes:

• Commencement of planning and approvals for Hydrographic, ADCP, Geotechnical, Geophysical, and Marine Ecological studies
• Membership for the Community Consultation Group has been finalised and members will be advised in the coming weeks of the first meeting date
• Ongoing removal of excess waste, including asbestos, and site preparation works at the Waste Management Facility (WMF)
• Ecological / Flora and Fauna Studies & a Topographic Terrestrial Survey are underway

Next steps the Program will focus on are:

• The first Community Consultation Group meeting
• The functional design for the WMF
• Marine Vessel EOI evaluation, and Stage 2 tender process
• Finalising permits and approvals for Hydrographic and ADCP (wave) studies, followed by Geotechnical, Geophysical, Marine Ecological studies to assist in determining feasibility of Southern Zone
• Finalising cargo transport analysis 

For any questions or comments on the Program, please email the team at [email protected].