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Koombana Bay Marine Structures environmental consulting

RPS is undertaking a strategic public environmental review at Koombana Bay as part of a proposal to upgrade the marine infrastructure in Bunbury, Western Australia.

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Transforming Bunbury’s waterfront

Bunbury is around two hours south of Perth and is known as the city of three waters – with the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault Inlet all features of the city. The area is undergoing significant works to position Bunbury as one of Western Australia’s major regional centres.

As part of the transformation, the South West Development Commission (SWDC) - a statutory authority of the WA Government - is proposing to upgrade Koombana Bay’s marine structures to meet existing and future demand for small craft marine infrastructure.

The project will include the construction and operation of three future proposals: Casuarina Boat Harbour, Koombana Bay Sailing Club marina, and Dolphin Discovery Centre finger jetty. The proposed marine infrastructure includes jetties, boat ramps and boat pens.

Understanding the marine environment in Koombana Bay

Since 2016, RPS has been working with the SWDC to undertake a variety of environmental consulting services to determine the suitability, sustainability and environmental impact of the proposed works within Koombana Bay.

RPS’ environment team is currently completing a Strategic Public Environmental Review (the highest level of state environmental assessment) for the proposed marine structures.

The environmental services completed by RPS as part of the Review include:

Scoping and gap analysis.
Preparation of the Environmental Review Document.
Key marine technical investigations, including benthic communities and habitats, invasive marine species, groundwater assessments and underwater noise.
Key management plans for marine fauna and marina construction monitoring and management.
Stakeholder consultation and ongoing liaison with state government agencies, local authority, tourism bodies, community groups and recreational users.
Formulation and negotiation of stakeholder governance structure for ongoing monitoring of Koombana Bay.

RPS consultants also delivered standalone impact assessments for benthic communities and habitats, marine fauna, marine environmental quality and coastal processes, drawing on project specific field studies, desktop reviews, dredge plume dispersion modelling, flushing studies and underwater noise modelling.