The Gladstone Area Water Board (GAWB) has taken the next step in its planning for the future water needs of the Gladstone region by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gladstone-Fitzroy Pipeline.

GAWB is carrying out preparations for the pipeline now, including seeking appropriate environmental approvals, to ensure that the pipeline and its associated infrastructure, should government approve its construction, can be constructed within two years as soon as increased demand or low dam levels trigger the need.

The EIS is now available to the community to view and comment on during a 30-business-day public comment period, which finishes on 15 December 2008.

The EIS assesses the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project and proposes mitigation measures to manage these impacts where required. The EIS addresses the topics outlined in the final Terms of Reference issued by the Queensland Coordinator-General in October 2007.

During the public comment period members of the community can make formal submissions to the Coordinator-General based on the report’s key findings, before a final decision on the project is handed down.

Click here to view the EIS.

Click here to view the EIS Summary of Major Findings, which provides an overview of the EIS’s key findings (5Mb file).

Click here to find out more about how you can get involved in the EIS's public comment period.