Minutes of Meeting
Date: Thursday, 9 June 2016
Time: 10:00am
Location: 60 Gardner Lane, Poowong
Meeting Called By
GBP Australia Pty Ltd
Type of Meeting
Review Community concerns in regards to GBP Australia Pty Ltd proposed and future development.
Facilitator Nick Murphy
Note Taker Nancy Brennan
Timekeeper Nancy Brennan
Attendees Representing Poowong Community:
Matthew Gray
Representing as South Gippsland Councillor:
Lorraine Brunt
Representing GBP Australia Pty Ltd:
Ben Siegel, Nick Murphy and Nancy Brennan
Representing EPA:
Mikaela Power and David Robinson
Representing Consulting Environmental Engineers and Scientists: John Anderson
Apologies
John Mandemaker and Lyn Rogers, Heather Gregg – Poowong Community
Bryan Sword - South Gippsland Shire Council
Wendy Tao – EPA Representative
Non Attendees
Please note, members of the EPA will be consistently invited to all Community Liaison Committee Meetings as well as minutes of all meetings will be forwarded on to the EPA.
Once again we would like to thank everyone who attended today’s meeting.
GBP Australia Pty Ltd are really looking forward to creating some strong ties with the new committee and establishing a solid communication design that will elevate present and future community concerns.
AGENDA TOPICS
Discussion 1. Project Update
Newsletter circulated throughout Poowong – completed – N. Murphy
All other action items from last meeting minutes scheduled to be completed by end of June 2016.
Action Items Person Responsible Deadline
1. Timelines – Farm Management Company will draw up Work instruction and Procedures to define paddock rotation and set timelines for implementation. John Anderson 29 June 2016
2. Optional Committee Member being sourced. Nick Murphy 29 June 2016
Discussion 2. Section 22 - Question & Responses from John Anderson –
OVERVIEW
( Questions and responses from the minutes will be in attachment 1 of this document also available for view on GBP CLC website at ).
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• Assessment was conducted by the Environmental Engineers & Scientists on what they did, what was found and what was recommended about waste water management.
• Initial study on odour assessment from the waste water treatment plant and abattoir processing,
• Assessment of the treatment plant to get an understanding of the various processes.
After Section 22 Released – A requirement to review the wastewater treatment plant in more detail;
Three Studies were carried out:
1. Waste Water Management Existing Conditions Master Plan Assessment
2. EIP - (Environmental Improvement Plan)
3. Odour
Study # 2 - Environmental Improvement Plan is going to be carried forward covering what the issues are, how they will be managed, what is going to be done in future upgrades, monitoring and reporting.
What did the Environmental Engineers & Scientists do in terms of the study;
Site Inspections where done a number of times, wastewater monitoring of the treatment plant were reviewed to figure out what the various processes where doing, how they were performing, how the total effluent quality was coming out, which was performed several times and a local Agricultural Consultant was hired from AG Challenge Consulting Pty Ltd (Tony Pitt) – who did soil testing of the farm and made an assessment of the impact of the waste water on the soils and inspected the pasture and from that recommendations came.
Timing to complete these commitments will be end of this year which will cover, monitoring, annual audits, and quarterly monitoring – refer to commitments Section 8 of EIP.Timeline will be added to website.
Discussion 3. EPA Raised Questions –
How to report on actions referred to Section 22?
Nick Murphy to distribute Website link which will cover Question (3) of Section 22, which will give opportunity for any questions from participants that were not able make this meeting.
AG Challenge report on soils and assessment of the farm and recommendations report will be included in the EIP report which will be located on the website.
Action Items Person Responsible Deadline
http://www.gbpclc.com/#!clc-meeting-minutes/n01mx
Nick Murphy
10 June 2016
Discussion 4. Community Questions
1. Letter received from Local School (Poowong) and will be reviewed at next meeting.
Action Items Person Responsible Deadline
Progress will be discussed at next meeting and any immediate enquiries can be forwarded to email – gbpclc@gbproducts.com.au or contact Nick Murphy directly at nick@gbpproducts.com.au Nick Murphy 28 June 2016
Conclusion: All parties present at the CLC meeting were asked if they were happy that everything in regards to the WMMP and EIP were covered at this meeting and no further questions were asked. All parties not present for the meeting will be forwarded meeting minutes and section 22 questions covered for review and any questions raised from these parties will be forwarded to CLC Chair.
Full details relating to the master plan and environmental plan can be accessed on the company’s website www.gbpclc.com
MEETING CLOSED AT 11:10AM – THURSDAY, 9th JUNE 2016
Attachment 1( Q and A from meeting 9-6-16)
Section 22 Questions and Responses from CLC Meeting
9-6-16
1. Submit a wastewater management master plan which must include the following:
a. Details of the selected option to upgrade the wastewater treatment system and associated facilities.
• Assessment of the findings from the Assessment of the wastewater treatment plant were- no potential odour in town, improvements of odour – covering some of the free flowing discharges between the lagoons – point source of odour to be minimised.
• Upgrade of Process control is required – high level of alarms, signals going to a central monitoring system so the operator of the personnel know what is going on in the plant.
• Treatment Plant has produced good quality Class C - Effluent for many years and the quarterly monitoring reports shows this.
• Definition for “Class C” – is fit for purpose of grazing of cattle, requires a certain amount of treatment and can be re-used on pasture for non lactating cows with a 4 hour holding period before cattle can be put on the land.
b. The design information, including design criteria and timeline for upgrading the waste water treatment system and associated facilities.
This is summarised in Section 8 of the wastewater Management Plan and the EIP outlines 28 commitments specifically relating to commitment Number 10 of the EIP timeline to keep dams 300mm below freeboard which is now monitored daily.
c. Confirming capacity and configuration of the primary treatment system (pumps, tanks, screens etc.) and key items of plant.
Completed assessment was done on each process in terms of capacity, liability, risk and fit for purpose. There seemed to be no issues of concern with the treatment system in terms of what it does.
d. Confirming waste water generation of 27kl/day from the proposed rendering plant.
Advice has been taken for this from Wiley and Peter Gilbertson (Rendering experts). 27kl/day is a minor flow and 5% increase of total flow which is an insignificant increase in waste. EPA are aware of the modelling for the likely increase in flow and will consider this a part of the works approval.
e. Confirming effluent flows and loads pumped to the effluent holding lagoons.
Waste water flows to the plant are not measured, but extensive measure of water being used on the plant is performed on a daily basis. This is up from storage and down to the lagoons, and data over the last 10 years, the peak flow is used per day and the annual flow is used for peak production which shows 90 - 95% is being used.
f. Confirming size and capacity of irrigation storages and irrigable land.
Refer to aerial photograph of farm and Abbatoir area which shows water storage and waste water treatment plant.
Google earth confirmed sizing of lagoons and depth was overviewed from reports and visual inspections and came up with an estimated range volume of between 63 and 87 mega litres.
g. Confirming pond and lagoon lining configuration and condition.
Inspected lagoons and measured them physically. Lagoons are in sound condition and no level of concern. The consultant noted that the batters(liner) need improvement as they are old .
h. Establishing average and 90th percentile monthly rainfall and evaporation based on long term meteorological data for the area.
Long term rainfall data was used at Nyora and data was used to determine monthly average rainfall – refer to EIP for graph details on this.
i. Water and nutrient (N,P,K) balance budgets for the site in accordance with EPA water balance model, and check organic and salinity loadings to establish limiting inputs.
The Consultant referenced the report provided by AgChallenge in relation to this question and provided these answers.
Soil testing showed elevated levels of nutrients in the soil. Pasture could be improved on.
In accordance with EPA Application 464.2 - Organics and Salinity check balances was measured to work out total phosphorus and nitrogen loads per hectare.
j. Establishing sustainable long term effluent application rates (i.e. Ml/ha. Yr) in accordance with EPA publication 464.2 Guidelines for Environmental Management Use of Reclaimed Water for the average and 90th percentile wet year cases.
How much water can you put onto the land each year – there is 3.2 Ml/Ha/Year and also stated 2Ml/Ha in a wet year based on EPA module.
k. The assessment of the need for constructing cut off drains around the perimeter of the irrigation area.
Safe guards that will be put into place to safe guard the environment;
1. Deficit is required in the soil before water is added.
2. Don’t want spray drift onto adjacent properties
3. Protect watercourses
Rotation basis recommended / improve pasture and remove nutrients taken by the treatment plant
Nitrogen and Phospherous taken from the land and rotation process will be in summary – land irrigated, pasture grown (improved) and cattle placed onto pasture after it has been harvested.
Soil monitoring assessment has shown elevated Nitrogen in top layer of soil.
2. Submit an Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), the EIP must be prepared in accordance with EPA publication 464.2 Guidelines for Environmental Management Use of Reclaimed Water . it must include the details of the ongoing water monitoring program for the wastewater treatment system, soil and groundwater monitoring for the re use of the irrigation area.
1. Environmental improvement plan timelines have been set out in the EIP Plan submitted. Ag challenge external contractors have been engaged and are designing procedures and recording templates in relation to Nutrient management and grazing/ cropping techniques. This will be used in conjunction with water monitoring and the waste water system.
2. Procedures will also cover the rotation of paddocks as recommended by ag services and will include the growing of pastures to be removed off site to reduce nutrient concentration. GBP will co tinue to work closely with Ag challenge in designing these procedures and manuals to suit this sites needs.