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Planning authorities have greenlit Gina Rinehart-chaired Hancock Prospecting’s $850 million Belisama gas hub proposal in the Perth Basin, after the Environmental Protection Authority waved the project through without assessment.

The Perth Basin gas hub plan, which will process output from gas fields acquired by the company from Mineral Resources for $1.1 billion in 2024, was approved subject to conditions by members of the Statutory Planning Committee on Wednesday morning.

Designed to produce as much as 210 terajoules of gas per day and be operated by 40 staff, the project is estimated to last for 20 years.

The gas processing plant – estimated to cost $850 million to build – comprises a condensate stabilisation, storage and offloading system to support road transport to Geraldton.

It also features onsite infrastructure including power generation, warehousing and workshops, and control, equipment and switch room facilities, telecommunications, groundwater supply bores, groundwater monitoring bores and sewage treatment systems.

The proposed onsite workers’ village includes a 28-bed facility with a recreation room, dining and kitchen area, laundry, gym facility and parking.

In support

Western Australian Planning Committee board member Sean Morrison said the project was of high economic significance to the state.

“The value of the project alone is significant but its impact across state is even greater,” he said.

“It’s clear the proponent engaged very effectively with all relevant stakeholders and should be commended for doing so.”

Both the Shire of Mingenew and Irwin were in support of the development subject to conditions, with Mingenew president Hellene McTaggart appearing at the meeting in person to express the council’s approval.

One of the conditions presented by the Shire of Mingenew was Hancock funding the upgrade of relevant roads to make them suitable for all weather conditions.

Hancock said in the meeting it was also in talks with the shire to support the town by building a separate housing development, flagging key worker accommodation as a possible avenue.

Mrs Rinehart’s company has four years to substantially commence the construction of Belisama before the planning approval expires.

It was also noted the use of the site for the gas plant and workforce accommodation was temporary, expiring on August 19 2056 – including the construction and decommissioning phases of the development.

During the public consultation period, four out of five submissions were received in support of the plan, while one was neutral with its main concerns surrounding orderly and proper planning, land use, cumulative impacts of approvals within the locality, visual impacts, bushfire risk, safety and community benefit.

EPA’s decision

Prior to the SPC meeting, the EPA had decided it was not necessary to assess the proposal, which has a 1,327-hectare development envelope including a disturbance footprint of 291.5 hectares, and 5.7 hectares of native vegetation.

Over five weeks of public consultation, the EPA received 229 submissions in relation to Belisama. Of those, 227 requested further assessment of the plan.

But the EPA said the potential impacts of Belisama were not significant enough to warrant formal assessment under its frameworks.

Acknowledging the potential impacts of clearing the vegetation, the EPA said there was environmental factors to consider at the site.

But the body found that the likely environmental effects could be “mitigated by other statutory decision-making processes” to achieve consistency with its objectives.

The call was a major boost for the proposed gas facility, which would treat gas from the Lockyer field and push it through the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

There is potential for Belisama to process gas from the West Erregulla gas field, which is owned under a joint venture of Strike Energy and Hancock.

But the former MinRes field will be the immediate priority, with West Erregulla appearing to have fallen back in Hancock’s queue.

Hancock already has WA Planning Commission approval for the facility.