what you need to know - apa group ara...what you need to know... australian high pressure gas...
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IMPORTANT INFORMATIONINSIDE
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT NEAR GAS PIPELINES
What you need to know...
Australian high pressure gas pipelines have an excellent safety record however a pipeline rupture can impact an area many hundreds of metres from a pipeline. This is why it is important for authorities to consider high pressure pipelines in the initial planning process.
APA Group’s gas pipelines are designed, constructed, operated and maintained in accordance with Australian Standards (AS 2885 Pipelines − gas and liquid petroleum) to ensure the integrity of the pipeline and the safety of the community, particularly where urban encroachment increases the potential to impact on the safety of gas pipelines.
HOW YOU PLAY A ROLE:
High Consequence Areas (HCAs), as defined by AS 2885, include developments such as broad−scale residential subdivisions, retirement homes, hospitals and schools. Planners and developers play a role in identifying and locating gas pipelines during the planning process to ensure that the developers and contractors are aware of the associated requirements, risks and issues around pipeline safety.
HCA’s are categorised into the following:Primary Location Classes:Residential (T1)High Density (T2)
Secondary Location Classes:Sensitive Use (S)Industrial (I)Heavy (HI).
DID YOU KNOW?
APA Group must manage this emerging risk in keeping with AS 2885, which imposes ‘special requirements for pipelines constructed in locations where the consequences of failure by rupture is not acceptable’.
Urban Encroachment Planning
Let us PLAN for GAS together, to achieve workable solutions!
Development and Planning Considering High Pressure Pipelines
As more and more developments are planned and approved, the risk of pipeline safety increases. Approving authorities such as councils are the links between the pipeline owners and operators, and the developers and planners.
APA Group’s existing high pressure pipelines were designed for the land use that existed, or was envisaged, at the time of construction and therefore consideration must be given to the impact of land use changes. This is of particular importance, given the operational pipeline life of up to 80 years, as significant land use changes are likely to occur.
Please contact the APA Group to discuss how we can assist in the early stage planning phase for safer development and safer communities.
Liaise with APA Group
In the interests of pipeline safety, APA Group can provide advice during the planning process for high consequence area developments to ensure risk-informed land use planning practices can be adopted. We believe that through early involvement and liaison, urban development can be achieved safely in the vicinity of high pressure pipelines.
APA supports the Council’s role in determining the acceptability of individual planning applications, including developments in the vicinity of high pressure gas pipelines.
APA Group seeks to be considered as a ‘referral agency’ to provide advice on development in the vicinity of high pressure pipelines, to ensure risk−informed land use planning practices can be adopted.
It is important to note that APA Group is not seeking to limit development around existing or future pipelines, but rather to ensure the land use is compatible with the design of the pipeline.
Assess Development Applications and Achieve Negotiated Outcomes
APA Group’s approach to ensuring safe land use around high pressure pipelines is to collaborate with local authorities and land users. Additionally, we can provide local authorities with GIS data, which identifies APA Group’s pipelines and assets to assist in planning.
Considerations that should be discussed with APA Group are:
– Planning of land use within corridors around high pressure pipelines;
– Potential noise and other impacts from high pressure pipeline above ground facilities;
– Proximity of other utilities and services, including roads and railways; and
– Future high pressure pipeline requirements, i.e. protection of future corridors suitable for high pressure pipelines to service new development areas.
APA Group is Australia’s largest transporter of natural gas, delivering approximately half of Australia’s annual gas usage through its 14,000 km of pipelines across Australia.
APA Group is experiencing significant changes in land use along its existing high pressure pipelines, particularly on the urban/rural fringes, where previously such developments were prohibited due to former land use zoning.
APA Group would like to take this opportunity to invite councils into further discussions, to ensure that all are aware of the potential impacts on pipeline safety by planning development that is risk informed, with due consideration for the design of APA Group’s pipelines and assets. After all, if pipelines are safe then the community is safe.
togetherPLAN FOR GASFor Development Enquiries and Development Application referrals please contact APA Group.
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1800 103 452EMAIL
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