Assessment of the ABT Railway Project
Abstract
The Tasmanian Government received a grant from the Prime Ministers Federation Fund for $20.45 million to rebuild the historic Abt Railway. For the project to proceed, a Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan (DP/EMP) has been prepared in accordance with the principals of sustainable development under the Tasmanian Resource Management and Planning System.
The new railway will run from Queenstown to Strahan in an area of temperate rainforest and adjacent to the World Heritage Area. The challenge is to preserve the heritage and natural features of the railway route while building a contemporary rail system that is both economically and technically feasible, as well as ensuring all community concerns are met.
This paper outlines the processes used in meeting this challenge, including the environmental values identified and how the impacts of the proposal will be mitigated. Vegetation, fauna, geoscientific, historic, aboriginal heritage, and cultural heritage issues as well as environmental engineering aspects have all been addressed in assessing and determining appropriate management practices.
The environmental assessment undertaken for the Abt Railway Project was classic case of seeking the balance between natural resource use with environmental values. The project is the first major environmental project for Tasmania since the reopening of the Mt Lyell mine.