A controversial gas terminal project has been given the green light to move forward.
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny released her assessment of the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) for the Viva Energy Gas Terminal Project in Corio on Thursday, May 29, finding that the project’s potential impacts could be managed if strengthened environmental management practices and amended mitigation measures were adopted.
Ms Kilkenny’s assessment advances the project towards Viva’s commercial decision to move forward, pending further regulatory approvals.
“We are striking the right balance between development and environmental responsibility through the rigorous and transparent EES process,” she said.
The project would also include a storage and regasification unit to turn imported liquid into gas, a pier and a seven-kilometre pipeline to transfer the gas to a connection point in Lara.
The terminal project has been the subject of protests previously regarding concerns by the Geelong community about the gas terminal’s short- and long-term environmental impacts.
Public hearings on the project’s environmental effects started in December last year and ran through to mid-January after Viva Energy was directed to prepare a supplementary EES in March 2023 to address some key environmental concerns.
If successful, the Viva Energy Terminal could receive up to 160 petajoules of liquefied natural gas per annum.
