Former EPA chairman takes on consultancy role for Exmouth’s Gascoyne Gateway deepwater port proposal

One of Western Australia’s most experienced voices in environmental protection will act as a consultant for a proposed single-jetty deepwater port and renewables hub in the Exmouth Gulf. The former executive chairman of the State’s Environmental Protection Authority Ray Steedman has joined the Gascoyne Gateway Project to act as an environmental consultant. The Gascoyne Gateway marine facility is a single-jetty deepwater port capable of servicing vessels from the navy, cruise ships, and private yachts in the Exmouth Gulf. The port would run on renewable energy and be the first in the country to incorporate environmental regeneration initiatives into its initial planning. Gascoyne Gateway managing director Michael Edwards said the opportunity to add Dr Steedman was a huge boost for the project. “One of our primary goals with the Gascoyne Gateway project is to regenerate the environment and having Dr Steedman as a resource will help us achieve this,” he said. “Our vision is to develop Australia’s first ‘green’ port. We have engaged Dr Steedman to play a vital role in shaping that vision.” Mr Edwards said Gascoyne Gateway would run on renewable energy generated through a proposed solar plant and storage grid which also had the potential to benefit the Exmouth community. “We plan to use renewable energy to power a reverse-osmosis process to produce drinkable water for the local community,” he said. “This would reduce the load on local aquifers and help them replenish over time.” Dr Steedman said he was looking forward to working with management and its scientific team to provide evidence-based advice on how to achieve sustainable regenerative environmental solutions to deliver the “green” operating port. “The idea of a port that included regeneration initiatives from inception is a challenging concept, and that ambition is a big part of why I joined the project,” he said. Construction is expected to create 400 jobs, and 70 full-time local positions once fully operational.