Submissions close TODAY for the proposed Mackay Port Access Road Project in Mackay.
There is an outline below of the submission that Mackay Conservation Group has put forth. We encourage you to put in your own submission TODAY through this link: https://epbcpublicportal.environment.gov.au/all-notices/project-decision/comment/?refentity=mara_projectdecision&refid=06fc0d82-10b5-f011-bbd3-7c1e5262749f&refrel=mara_DecisionComment_projectdecision_mara
Please feel free to use our outline to help guide your submission, and apologies that we couldn’t get this to you sooner. Thank your for your support on protecting these important ecosystems.
Outlined below are the key concerns about the proposed project:
1. Impacts on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES)
- The project would directly and indirectly impact important habitat for 15 EPBC-listed migratory shorebird species and the endangered northern quoll.
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These wetlands support 78% of Australia’s migratory shorebird species, including:
- Critically endangered: Eastern curlew, curlew sandpiper
- Endangered: Great knot, bar-tailed godwit, lesser sand plover
- Vulnerable: Red knot, terek sandpiper, ruddy turnstone, etc.
- At least seven species are present in nationally significant numbers (>0.01% of the flyway population).
2. Hydrological and Habitat Impacts
- The road would act like a dam across the floodplain, disrupting water flow between the Port wetlands (north) and Bassett Basin (south).
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This would:
- Alter sediment flows to mudflats — critical feeding grounds for shorebirds.
- Reduce ecological connectivity across 2–3 km of wetland.
- Increase flooding and erosion risks under sea level rise and extreme weather.
3. Offsetting Concerns
- TMR proposes to revoke ~20 ha from the Bassett Basin Fish Habitat Area (FHA) but offset this by adding 42.5 ha elsewhere.
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The submission argues offsetting is inappropriate because:
- These habitats are already critical for nationally protected species.
- Offsets cannot replace lost habitat for migratory shorebirds.
- Avoidance, not offsetting, should be prioritised — e.g. an elevated road to maintain water flow and minimise habitat loss.
- Previous local offsets (e.g. East–West Connector Road) lack transparency; there’s no evidence they achieved “no net loss”.
4. Water Quality and Creek Impacts
- The project would affect 5.4 km of waterways (Vines Creek and Goosepond Creek) that drain into Bassett Basin.
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Likely impacts include:
- Polluted runoff entering shorebird feeding areas.
- Changed salinity and flow patterns, degrading aquatic food sources for fish and birds.
- Threats to vulnerable species such as the false water rat and native wetland vegetation communities.
5. Climate and Flooding Risks
- The proposed ground-level road is highly vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and storm surges, especially as sea levels rise.
- Infrastructure in this zone should be elevated or relocated to ensure long-term resilience.
Recommended Actions:
- Reassess the route and prioritise avoidance of sensitive wetland and shorebird habitat.
- Investigate an elevated highway design to maintain hydrological flows and protect ecological connectivity.
- Reject reliance on biodiversity offsets for MNES habitat, as this represents a net loss of protected ecosystems.
- Disclose past offset performance (e.g. East–West Connector Road) for transparency.
- Recognise the area as critical habitat within the East Asian–Australasian Flyway and manage accordingly.
In Summary
The proposed Mackay Port Access Road – Section 3 would:
- Destroy or degrade nationally significant migratory shorebird and fish habitats in the Pioneer River estuary.
- Disrupt natural water flows essential for wetland health.
- Rely on offsets that cannot compensate for the loss of irreplaceable ecological values.
- Increase flood and climate vulnerability.
The submission concludes the project should not proceed in its current form and should be redesigned (preferably elevated) to avoid harm to Matters of National and State Environmental Significance.