Port Spencer - Grain Export Facility

The proposal

Deep water port facility for the export of grain, located north-east of Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsula (70 kilometres north-east of Port Lincoln).

It comprises:

  • wharf structures (causeway and jetty) and ship loading systems
  • grain storage facilities (silos and bunkers) and handling systems
  • road transport access route using Lipson Cove Road.

Background

The original proposal for an iron ore and grain export port by Centrex Metals was addressed in a Public Environmental Report (PER) released in 2012. The Port Spencer (‘Sheep Hill’) Deep Water Port Facility – Stage 1 proposal was approved by the Governor on 20 December 2012. The proposal did not proceed to construction.

In 2019 the proposed site was purchased by Peninsula Ports (a subsidiary of Free Eyre), which sought to vary the development authorisation to enable the establishment of a grain export port.  An Amendment to the PER was prepared by Peninsula Ports, which addressed the potential impacts of a modified port design, and was released for public consultation on 16 January 2020.

The modified proposal was approved by the Minister for Planning and Local Government on 6 August 2020, with a varied development authorisation gazetted on 13 August 2020.

On 29 September 2022, the Minister for Planning released an Amendment to the PER for public comment. Peninsula Ports is seeking a variation to their development authorisation, involving an expansion of the project area boundaries to accommodate design changes to the bunker storage and truck marshalling areas, including related civil and drainage works.

On 3 June 2023, the Minister for Planning approved the changes to the layout of the port facility.

Authorisation dates

Construction to commence (no later) - 6 August 2025

Completion of works (no later) - 6 August 2030

Assessment stages and documentation

Stage 

Date

Documentation

Extension of time20 August 2024Letter to applicant - Extension of time (PDF, 156.9 KB)
Minister's decision3 June 2023Decision Notice (PDF, 220.1 KB)
Release of Amendment to Assessment Report3 June 2023Amendment to the Assessment Report (PDF, 6.5 MB)
Response Document26 February 2023Response Document (PDF, 388.8 KB)
Release of Public Submissions26 February 2023Public Submissions 1 to 6 (PDF, 6.6 MB)
Amendment to the PER 29 September 2022 Amendment to the PER (PDF, 7.7 MB)
Extension of time 12 September 2022 Letter to applicant – Extension of time (PDF, 316.4 KB)
Amended Declaration 17 February 2022 Government Gazette dated 24 February 2022

Variation decision

13 August 2020

Government Gazette dated 13 August 2020

Amendment to the Assessment Report

6 August 2020

Amendment to the Assessment Report (PDF, 3.2 MB)

Release of the Response Document

17 June 2020

Response Document (PDF, 28.7 MB)

Release of public submissions on the Amendment to the PER  Public submissions (PDF, 7.2 MB)

Amendment to PER

16 January 2020

Volume 1 (PDF, 5.7 MB)
Volume 2 - Review of PER (PDF, 4.0 MB)
Volume 3 - Appendices to Review - Part 1 (PDF, 28.9 MB)
Volume 3 - Appendices to Review - Part 2 (PDF, 22.1 MB)
Volume 4 - Draft Contractor CEMPs (PDF, 17.3 MB)
Volume 5 - Appendix C, D & E (PDF, 2.2 MB)

Extension of time

18 December 2014

Government Gazette dated 18 December 2014

Governor's Decision

20 December 2012

Government Gazette dated 20 December 2012

Release of the Assessment Report by Minister

December 2012

Assessment Report (PDF, 2.1 MB)

Release of original Public Environmental Report

9 March 2012

Executive Summary (PDF, 742.9 KB)
Volume 1 - Public Environmental Report (PDF, 15.2 MB)
Volume 2 - Appendix A-D (PDF, 828.4 KB)
Appendix A - Port Spencer Stage 01 (MP4, 18.2 MB)
Appendix A - Port Spencer Stage 02 NO RAIL (MP4, 18.2 MB)
Appendix B - Community Consultation Material (PDF, 3.0 MB)
Appendix C - Air Quality Impact Assessment Report (PDF, 3.4 MB)
Appendix D - Geo Invest and Soil Report (PDF, 8.1 MB)
Volume 3 - Appendix E-H (PDF, 825.9 KB)
Appendix E - Enviro Site Assessment (PDF, 14.5 MB)
Appendix F - Surface Water Report (PDF, 13.6 MB)
Appendix G - Environmental Noise Assessment Report (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Appendix H - Traffic Impact Assessment Report (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Volume 4 - Appendix I-K (PDF, 826.1 KB)
Appendix J - Lipson Island Terrestrial and Marine Ecology Report (PDF, 3.6 MB)
Appendix K - Port Spencer Marine Ecology Report (PDF, 7.3 MB)
Volume 5 - Appendix L to O (PDF, 825.6 KB)
Appendix L - Sediment Transport Modelling Report (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Appendix M - Cultural Heritage Report (PDF, 7.3 MB)
Appendix N - Socio-Economic Baseline Report (PDF, 5.9 MB)
Appendix O - Greenhouse Gas Calculations (PDF, 138.5 KB)

Release of Guidelines by Development Assessment Commission

1 June 2011

Guidelines for the preparation of a public environmental report (PDF, 871.6 KB)

Declaration as major development

6 January 2011

Government Gazette dated 6 January 2011