The EPA's role

As South Australia’s independent environmental regulator, the EPA focuses on ensuring mitigation measures and controls are in place to prevent and/or minimise environmental harm. If approved, the EPA will regulate the trial through an authorisation in the form of a licence.

Licences for dredging activities require a Dredge Management Plan (DMP) which must detail proposed measures to minimise adverse impacts from the dredging. An authorisation for this dredging trial would also require a Water Quality Monitoring Plan (WQMP), a Seagrass Monitoring Plan (SMP), a Noise Monitoring Plan (NMP) and a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan. Please note that all plans are in draft form and are being assessed by the EPA.

The EPA will assess the DMP against the EPA Dredge Guideline 2020, which provides guidance about the EPA's expectation.