Stage one - critical criteria assessment
Consultation with service agencies was undertaken to determine the status of the six candidate sites in relation to availability and access to high voltage electricity supply, gas, potable water and waste water disposal.
Aerial photography and consultation was used to identify the occurrence of sensitive land uses in proximity to the sites, and Main Roads WA online mapping identified the location of designated heavy vehicle routes.
A high level multi-criteria analysis was developed specific to the project requirements. This allowed a combination quantifiable and degree of difficulty assessment to be applied. The criteria were based on the proposition that any precinct would be able to gain approval within three years.
The criteria that were deemed to be critical to be available and accessible in the short term (less than three years) were:
- high voltage electricity supply up to 15MVA
- gas connectivity up to 50GJ/h
- potable water to 2ML/day
- sewer connectivity or sufficient land for ponding (waste water)
- minimum distance to sensitive land uses
- proximity to heavy vehicle access (network one and two)
- travel time to regional towns.
It is important to note a number of qualifications that applied in the assessment process. These were:
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regional centres are defined as Bunbury, Busselton, Collie, Manjimup
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potable water based on advice from WaterCorp, Aqwest and Busselton Water
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power demands require demand analysis to confirm capacities of nearby mains
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the Albany to Bunbury gas pipeline is likely to be operational within three years
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restricted access vehicle (RAV) category roads conditions - restrictions/limitations on type of heavy vehicles not considered at this level of analysis
- A 1000 metre buffer was assumed around each site for the purpose of estimating the number of potentially affected sensitive land uses, on the basis that activities requiring more extensive buffers would be located towards the centre of each site.