Social Impact Assessment Façade

The way in which the Social Impact Assessment for the Kimberley LNG Precinct is being conducted, the insincerity of the Western Australian government’s Department of State Development intentions to consult the local community, the hypocritically ways in which they interpret their own reports and implement their own social impact guidelines, the ways in which information is presented or not and their highly questionable arrogant indifference shown to the Broome community is totally dumfounding, frustrating and dishonest.

It appears that even our local elected representatives, Broome Shire Council are being treated with the same indifference. Redhand has grave concerns as to how the Department of State Development are going to conduct the Indigenous Social Impact Assessment given their present day performance and their total disregard for community, people, their values and their own sense of place.

Trying to get information from or even a return phone call about these social impact workshops has been like drawing blood from a stone. These workshops have not been advertised, no one understands who has been invited to attend or how they were the chosen few, when or where these workshops were being held or how the attendees learned about the workshops. There has been no independent scrutiny about the information given or the way in which information has been presented at these workshops.

From what we can gather, other Government departments have been responsible in nominating people to attend these workshops. Apparently, the workshops have been purposely limited in size and were held in the local Broome DSD offices. The larger Health workshop was held at the Mangrove Hotel on the 12th August. Even the Community Update:- Kimberley LNG precinct published in the local newspaper fails to inform the community about the times, dates and venues for these workshops and abortive to provide contact numbers or names (this was rectified in this weeks’ paper after several phone calls) and many people do not have access to the internet and are unable to inform themselves through the website address provided. Should you wish to attend the remaining workshops you need to receive an invitation? How you would do this? I do not know.

22nd July Sport and Recreation
6th August, Infrastructure
11th August Housing and Land
12th August Health Impacts

On the 10th September, the Heritage and Sense of Place Workshop will be held, where? This workshop aims to identify what makes Broome unique and our community’s sense of place. So, how would the Department of State Development know who to invite to this workshop? We certainly understand they know who not to invite, the general public, the major stakeholders in this so called Social Impact Assessment façade.

So where is the Public forums, the Department of State Development has been promising the Broome Community for months and when is the State Development Department going to abide by their contractual agreement with the Federal Government to ensure that these basic fundamental principles of community consultation are undertaken as quite clearly outlined within both the Kimberley LNG Precinct – Scope of the Strategic Assessment document and the Social Impact Assessment document.?

Red hand has been informed that should the general public seek to comment on the issues we have identified in the Scope and Profile document we can provisionally attend the DSD offices in Broome between the hours of 2 -6pm on Thursday, 17th September.

According to the Kimberley LNG Precinct – Scope of the Strategic Assessment
Page 179

13 Stakeholder ConsultationStakeholder consultation is an integral component of the environmental assessment and approvals process.
In accordance with the industry guidelines for community involvement (DoE 2003), throughout the assessment process, the aims of stakeholder consultation include:

• Inform stakeholders of the proposed project;
• Maximise the level of accurate and accessible information about the project to
affected communities;
• Provide adequate time for stakeholders to consider and engage in meaningful
dialogue on the project;
• Identify and attempt to resolve potential issues early in the planning process;
• Record stakeholder concerns and ensure response is provided to address concerns;
and
• Obtain mutually acceptable outcomes on the project.

A comprehensive consultation program was undertaken throughout the Site Selection Process (NDT 200d). A consultation program will continue throughout the assessment process as a two-way flow of communication between government as the Precinct Proponent, industry Proponents and stakeholders. This will assist in identifying significant environmental and social issues and will enable an open, transparent and comprehensive exchange of information and views.

The consultation program will meet the aims as discussed above ensuring that people are being kept informed of development plans and decisions and enable them to contribute input.

13.2 Key stakeholders

The stakeholder consultation program will involve engagement with a range of stakeholders, including indigenous and non-indigenous organizations, and will include the following main groups:

• Members of the public;
• Conservation groups;
• Non-government organizations;
• Tourism Operators;
• Aquaculture Industry;
• Broome Community;
• Education/Academic Institutions;
• State, Commonwealth and Local Government Departments;
• Project Proponents and other industry groups; and
• Traditional Aboriginal owners and other indigenous groups.

Kimberley LNG Precinct – Scope of the Strategic Assessment
Page 180

A preliminary list of stakeholders has been prepared (Appendix K). This list includes (but is not limited to) people and organizations who are likely to have an interest in the Kimberley LNG Precinct or who may be affected by the proposal.

13.3 Consultation ProgramStakeholder consultation will be a continuing activity for the Kimberley LNG Precinct.

The consultation program will be framed around key milestones for the assessment, and be provided by various means including briefings, community meetings, published material, web sites and other communication methods appropriate to the target audience.

According to the Social Impact Assessment that was released last week section

2.5.3. Community Consultation Community consultation is an ongoing component of the social impact assessment and continues through all phases of the process. Stakeholders include local, State and Commonwealth Government, local service providers, local interest groups, local business, Aboriginal groups and their representatives and community members.

A community consultation plan, incorporating existing and planned activities has been developed to ensure continual disclosure of information to the community and to facilitate community engagement with the SIA.

Broome Shire
Meanwhile the Broome Shire is holding a two day exhibit/presenter Forum for Friday 18thSeptember 2009 and Saturday 19 September 2009.

The proposed format for the two day forum to be held at the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre is as follows:
Friday 18 September 1000 – 1700 (displays)
Saturday 19 September 0900 – 1630 (displays)
Saturday 19 September 1030 – 1230 (presentations)
So the only time we as a community have is 2 hours in which we can question, enquire, understand and make inform assessments of a proposal that will change our community, our brand, our values and our future forever.

IN Parliament last week this was reintegrated that Extract from uncorrected Hansard
[COUNCIL - Wednesday, 12 August 2009]
p17c-18a
Hon Robin Chapple; Hon Norman Moore

KIMBERLEY LNG PRECINCT . STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT

742. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for State
Development:

I refer to the Kimberley liquefied natural gas precinct scope of the strategic assessment produced by the
Department of State Development, page 180, section 13.1.consultation program.and table 13.1.key
milestones for consultation.
(1) What methods were used to consult the general public about the scoping document for the strategic
assessment, as mentioned in table 13.1?
(2) What meetings or presentations have been offered to the general public for their input into the scoping
document for the strategic assessment, as mentioned in table 13.1?
(3) Has the scoping document for the strategic assessment been made available on websites, as mentioned
in table 13.1?
(4) If yes to (3), which are the relevant websites?
<010> E/3
(5) Has the scoping document for the strategic assessment document been made available to the general
public, as mentioned in table 13.1?
(6) If yes to (5), how and where?

Hon NORMAN MOORE replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1)-(6) The terms of reference and guidelines for a report assessing the impacts of the plan for the Browse
Basin liquefied natural gas precinct were released for public comment in February 2008. This was in
accordance with the strategic assessment agreement entered into between the state and federal
governments in February 2008. A draft of the scoping document prepared subsequent to that public
consultation process was released to key environmental and industry stakeholders for comment in May
2009. The scoping document will be published on the Department of State Development website once
tenders have been called for the completion of the report. The consultative process for preparation of
the strategic assessment report is ongoing and includes analysis of environmental, economic and social
aspects of the development. Public forums are scheduled for mid-September. In accordance with the
agreed strategic assessment agreement process, the draft assessment report will be made available for
formal public comment when completed. In the interim, regular community updates on the project are
being published in the Broome Advertiser on a fortnightly basis, and relevant material is being
published on the Department of State Development website.