The Cowie Environmental (Cowie) team integrated their extensive experience in major infrastructure projects to provide environmental support to the Hawsons Iron Project (HIP). Cowie have been providing environmental assistance to support the bankable feasibility study (BFS) and to assist in the delivery of two environmental impact statements (EIS) across two Australian states (New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA)).
The first phase of the project was to identify the appropriate approvals pathway and to progress with the major project application process in both NSW and SA. The second phase of the project included early consultation with the applicable Government agencies to socialise the project and to ensure the proposed approvals pathway was aligned with the expectations of relevant Government agencies.
Cowie also provided advice and guidance on the tender requirements for the EIS and technical inputs for the project. Cowie then ensured ongoing collaboration and management of the successful tenderer.
As well as managing the EIS aspects for the project, Cowie also provided ongoing environmental support to the internal project engineering and management team to support the project design.
Responsible for managing all environmental aspects associated with the EIS within NSW and SA and ensuring that the project gains approval. Cowie was also responsible for managing budgets and tracking of the EIS delivery schedule. The EIS management included managing a team of environmental specialists developing the EIS and associated approvals.
Assisted in the delivery of an EIS for a proposed port and pipeline in SA to support the proposed mine in NSW. In this role Cowie personnel worked proactively with design, construction and subcontractor teams to obtain environmental outcomes consistent with project delivery requirements. The EIS Coordinator completed constraints analysis to assist in pipeline route selections and infrastructure siting including a site drive to ground-truth findings. Cowie also developed and implemented an environmental management plan for exploration activities at the mine site.
Primary responsibilities included coordinating external ecology and cultural heritage consultancies and reporting to the EIS manager. In addition, other project responsibilities included GIS support, managing approvals, offering expert environmental advice for internal decision-making, project communications, cost control of environmental impact studies and environmental reporting as required.
Cowie gained valuable experience working on a major mining project across multiple states and managing small teams of specialist consultants and sub-consultants.
Cowie staff demonstrated the ability to adapt to NSW and SA legislative and regulatory requirements
Staff will be able to leverage their learnings from this project to achieve successful submission of the EIS and other environmental approvals on similar projects.
Sustainability support
Sustainability support
Sustainability support
Sustainability support