Public Notice: Burrup Common User Transmission Infrastructure

June 20 2024

Preliminary Documentation for Burrup Common User Transmission Infrastructure

(EPBC 2022/09407)

The following notice is published pursuant to section 95B(1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Horizon Power is proposing to expand the North-West Interconnected System (NWIS) electricity network, by constructing an approximately 7 kilometre (km) long 132 kilovolt (kV) overhead transmission line between the Dampier Substation and the Burrup Strategic Industrial Area (SIA). The Burrup SIA is not currently connected via transmission infrastructure to the NWIS.

The Project is located on Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula) in WA, approximately 1.5 km east of the Dampier township. Murujuga and its surrounds supports extensive Aboriginal cultural heritage sites, with the wider Dampier Archipelago region known to have one of Australia's greatest collections of rock art (petroglyphs). Horizon Power has worked with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) in undertaking detailed Aboriginal cultural heritage site avoidance surveys to progress the transmission route design avoiding impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage sites. It should be noted that the survey reports will not be made publicly available due to cultural sensitivity reasons and are confidential. Horizon Power is committed to avoiding direct impact to known Aboriginal cultural heritage and will have Aboriginal heritage monitors on site during clearing.

Referred under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Project was determined to be a ‘controlled action’ with the following controlling provisions: National Heritage places (sections 15B and 15C), listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A) and listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A).

A delegate for the Minister for the Environment and Water has also decided that the action must be assessed by preliminary documentation under section 87 of the EPBC Act. Horizon Power has prepared and advertised the preliminary documentation for public comment for 10 business days, as required under sections 95A(3) and (4) of the EPBC Act.

In response to the two submissions received during the public consultation period, no changes to the preliminary documentation have been made, however a Communication and Engagement Plan has been included.