sydney-city-centre-review-of-environmental-factors

8.3 Ecologically sustainable development
This section describes how four of the ESD principles have been incorporated into
the proposal’s concept design and environmental assessment.
8.3.1 The precautionary principle
Principle 15 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
1992 (the Rio Summit) defined the precautionary principle. ‘Where there are threats
of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a
reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental
degradation’. In 2000, a European Union communication further refined the definition
to account for action where scientific evidence is ‘insufficient, inconclusive or
uncertain’. Also realised was the responsibility placed on the developer to prove their
actions as being safe and act in instances where there is uncertainty.
In all cases impact assessment is a subjective process. It relies on professional
judgement and interpretation. This includes quantified traffic and noise modelling
undertaken to support the REF, as this has relied on the subjective manipulation of
input data.
Consequently, in all instances precaution has been built into the assessment
undertaken and reported in this REF. This includes adopting a number of worst-case
assumptions, such as all noise-generating equipment operating at its maximum
output at the same in the same location, or the assumption of a worst-case impact
occurring across an entire work site, as opposed to a specific section within the work
site. It also assumes a worst-case interaction between projects to assess interactive
and cumulative effects. Whilst the likelihood of such eventualities occurring is remote,
precaution is employed to remove subjective uncertainty.
There has also been a responsibility on Roads and Maritime to employ ‘reasonable
and feasible’ measures to protect the environment and to do this where there is
uncertainty. In the case of the proposal, there are certain impacts that have very low
likelihood of occurring, such as the footprint flooding or there being a major spill
onsite. However, Roads and Maritime has still committed to implement measures to
safeguard against these risks.
Conversely, there are certain proposed work activities, which when assessed under a
worst-case scenario, clearly show there is likely to be an impact. A good example is
construction noise and its exceedance of the corresponding noise management
levels. Again in reality there would be an exceptionally low likelihood of the conditions
modelled in the REF actually transpiring onsite. Nonetheless, Roads and Maritime is
committed to controlling noise to a worst-case level. This again, demonstrates the
adoption of precaution where there is uncertainty.
Finally, the concept design will be developed and refined into a detailed design. At
this stage there are many aspects of the design that are not detailed (eg final
finishes, the final ancillary facility requirements). Roads and Maritime has committed
to confirming that the impacts reported in this REF are still relevant, accurate and
consistent and reflect the proposal’s detailed design. Additional environmental
assessment would be undertaken where there is an identified inconsistency. This
again would ensure that uncertainty is identified, addressed and resolved throughout
the proposal’s design lifecycle.
Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement 466
Review of Environmental Factors