AVAILABILITY

The EIS was released on 19th November 2001, and covers:

• The charcoal plant and its local impacts
• An assessment of traffic flow issues

Australian Silicon have lodged the EIS for the charcoal plant (called Wood Processing & Metallurgical Carbon Facility) with planningNSW (ex DUAP). Advertisements have been placed in local and metropolitan newspapers indicating EIS exhibition dates, viewing locations and purchase details.

Printed copies are on display at planningNSW and by the company at various meetings etc.

You can obtain an executive summary here. Note that this is just a summary, not the 686-page-two-volume EIS.

The EIS is no longer available for purchase.

planningNSW advises that the EIS is on display at the following locations in NSW:

• planningNSW, Planning Centre, Henry Deane Building, 20 Lee Street, Sydney
• planningNSW, 32 Lowe Street, Queanbeyan
• planningNSW, Level 2 Block G, 84 Crown Street, Wollongong
• Eurobodalla Shire Council, Cnr Vulcan and Campbell Streets, Moruya
• Batemans Bay Library, Hanging Rock, Batemans Bay
• Moruya Library, Vulcan Street, Moruya
• Narooma Library, Princes Highway, Narooma
• Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Level 5, 362 Kent Street, Sydney

As far as we know the EIS will not be available in its complete form on any web site (The EIS comprises two PDF files - 21mb and 32mb respectively.

EIS CD FORMAT
The EIS CD is in Adobe Acrobat format. If you want to read the files and you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer then you need to download and install the reader before the 19th. It is free. The latest version (V5) can be downloaded from Adobe, but V5 is a large program and is slow on older computers. If you have an old system, you can still obtain Acrobat Reader Version 4.05 from a number of sites, one is listed below.

For Windows, Download the Acrobat reader free from the following:
V5 - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html (8.5 b)
V4.05 - http://www.library.northwestern.edu/reader/ (6.3Mb) (one of many sites who still have it available).

OTHER INFORMATION
There are no plans at present for an EIS for the massive timber supply. Under the Environment Planning and Assessment Act for the wood supply. State Forests is exempt from EIS's in regions which are covered by a State Forest Agreement, under the special legislation passed by the Carr Government in 1998 (despite strong objections from conservation groups). We claim that the regional environmental assessment for the Regional Forests Agreement (RFA) did not deal with pulpwood supply, let alone a future charcoal plant proposal. However, now that the RFA has been withdrawn, there may now be a requirement for an EIS to be done on the timber supply.

Elaborate, glossy flyers, posters and photo books have been prepared.

We understand that finance by the banks for the silicon smelter depends on these approvals and the consequent securing of a 20 year contract with State Forests for timber supply. Compensation will be payable if further reserves are declared leading to supply reduction.

There are some links to EIS submissions on the Gunnedah Charcoal plant on this site - close this window and click on the Links button.

• Referral form
• Environmental Impact Statement for the Lithgow Silicon Plant (PDF file)
• Making submissions
• Special meeting Eurobodalla Shire Council 10 Dec 2001