|
Project Background
This scoping study provides an overview of the proposed reporting system required to formally verify the implementation success of the Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd (QWI) socio-economic vision for the Traveston Dam.
The scoping study responds to the requested content as commissioned by QWI, and provides a broad overview and recommendations for consideration in verifying the implementation success of the enabling infrastructure and innovative project investments in Traveston Crossing Dam.
The findings of this scoping study are preliminary and commercial-in-confidence in nature, with implementation decisions remaining the responsibility of QWI. It is anticipated that further discussions with QWI will be required to refine and develop the final reporting system necessary, including the comprehensive set of indicators and methodologies; however this level of detail was beyond the ambit of this scoping study overview.
The Traveston Crossing dam site announced in July 2006 is situated in the Mary River, 27 kilometres upstream from Gympie and within 20 kilometres of the Sunshine Coast. This area is known locally as the Mary Valley.
A baseline assessment of the social resources of the dam site and surrounds was undertaken in 2006-07, using a three-tiered approach to capture a point in time as a means to measure progress and implementation success of the enabling infrastructure and innovative project investments in the Traveston Crossing dam.
The use of three tiers ensured that a baseline was captured at both local and regional levels, including the primary study area, adjacent communities and upstream/downstream local governments. This baseline was undertaken as part of the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) of the Traveston Crossing Dam Project Environmental Impact Assessment (QWI Pty Ltd 2007) and was further enhanced by a report on SIA undertaken in the Supplementary Report to the EIS (QWI Pty Ltd 2008).
As the primary study area communities are likely to experience the highest level of impacts and benefits from the proposal, establishing the baseline social resources of these communities is a vital benchmark to measure implementation success. As the adjacent communities and upstream/downstream LGAs are unlikely to experience any negative impacts, the following discussion will provide an overview of the baseline liveability, social and economic conditions of the primary study area only.
|
