Advice for development near licenced pipelines helps save time and reduce costs

To help proponents of development near gas and liquid petroleum pipelines meet DTS (Deemed to Satisfy) requirements, avoid unnecessary referrals and reduce costs, the Department for Energy and Mining’s Regulation Compliance Division (RCD) has developed an advice document and template.

Advice on Assessment of Development Applications in the Vicinity of Gas and Liquid Petroleum Pipelines, Licensed under the Energy Resources Act 2000 outlines the information required by the RCD as both the referral body and pipeline industry regulator.

Importantly, the template provides a framework to identify potential risks, record agreed mitigation measures and demonstrate compliance with Gas and Liquid Petroleum Pipelines Overlay or Gas and Liquid Petroleum Pipeline (Facilities) Overlay requirements before lodgement through the PlanSA portal.

The DTS criteria encourage proponents to establish a preliminary agreement with the relevant pipeline licensee before lodging an application. Where an agreement is reached and provided as part of the development application, referral requirements may be avoided.

An added value to completing a preliminary agreement through this process, is that there is no referral fee.

Under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, development applications within the Gas and Liquid Petroleum Pipelines or Gas and Liquid Petroleum Pipeline (Facilities) overlays must be referred to the Minister responsible for the Energy Resources Act 2000 where they do not meet the relevant DTS criteria. Assessment and decision-making functions are delegated to RCD.

For more information about the advice document or development applications in the vicinity of licensed pipelines, contact the RCD at DEM.Engineering@sa.gov.au.