Since the Project was announced in April 2025, the Project team have been engaging with the community and stakeholders and preparing the project Scoping Report. We had intended to submit the Scoping Report in mid-late September, however a decision has been made to push this back to allow us to refine the project design informed by further technical assessments and to address community and agency feedback received from engagement activities.
We are still working through the exact timing of lodgement and will keep you updated with our progress. The overall expected timeframe of the project has not changed.
Lodgement of the Scoping Report is the first step in the NSW planning process for State Significant Developments. It provides an outline of the proposed Project and identifies key issues that NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) will consider when preparing the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). The SEARs set out what must be addressed in the next stage of the process – the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
While there is no formal public exhibition or submissions process during the scoping phase, the Scoping Report is made available on DPHI’s planning portal once lodged. Community members can view the document and are encouraged to provide feedback to the Project team at any time, or directly to the DPHI.