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South Thomson Development Barge Landing 01 (1)

Infrastructure

Sustainability

South Thomson Development Barge Landing

RPS has supported the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) on the redevelopment of the South Thomson Bay Barge and Cargo Landing Facility since 2018.

Project overview

This critical infrastructure project will improve the island’s freight and cargo handling capacity, supporting both residents and the growing tourism sector, while ensuring protection of Wadjemup/Rottnest’s unique environmental and cultural values.

South Thomson Development Barge Landing 02

Our role

RPS has been the lead environmental advisor throughout project development, providing robust environmental impact assessment, approvals advice, and strategic guidance on design refinements. Our work has included:

State and Commonwealth environmental referrals – RPS prepared the Section 38 referral under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, for assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority, and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 referral for assessment by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Marine fauna and benthic habitat surveys – desktop assessment of marine species, mapping seagrass and benthic communities to quantify direct and indirect impacts to benthic communities and habitats and providing advice on lowest-impact alignments.
Terrestrial flora, vegetation and fauna surveys – including onshore development envelope surveys, targeted conservation species assessments, and desktop fauna evaluations.
Sediment contamination and acid sulfate soils assessment – demonstrating sediments were suitable for reuse in reclamation with no significant human health or environmental risks.
Approvals strategy and management planning – throughout the project design, environmental referral and assessment processes, RPS advised RIA on environmental management measures and mitigation strategies to avoid and minimise ecological impacts.
Specialist technical review – provision of expert review advice on issues relating to dredged sediment dispersion modelling and coastal processes assessments, drawing on our knowledge of best practice and our familiarity with regulatory expectations.

Environmental outcomes

Through iterative assessment of five design scenarios and barge draught options, RPS identified and quantified potential impacts and recommended practical management responses. Our detailed benthic habitat mapping and marine fauna assessments informed design refinements to minimise seagrass loss and reduce risks to migratory species, such as whales and seabirds.

Onshore, our vegetation and fauna surveys ensured that development avoided conservation-sensitive areas where possible, while management plans associated with the environmental approvals ensured potential residual impacts to ecological values were mitigated and managed.

Through ongoing project support and liaison with DBCA, RIA, Commonwealth and state environmental regulatory authorities, the following outcomes were achieved:

The project was determined to be not a controlled action under the EPBC Act
The EPA determined the level of assessment as ‘Assess - Additional Assessment Information (public review)’ and on 15 September 2025, it was determined that the project could be implemented subject to conditions.