Stepping aside for lively dead trees

Sometimes, in environmental terms, dead trees are just as valuable as live ones. Two dead trees on the trench line for the new Longford Liquids Pipeline were found to be home to a diverse community of birds.

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“The trees were close to pipeline trench and so were originally marked for removal,” said Pipeline Project SSH&E Lead Paul May. “However, during our early works environmental surveys discovered they contained nesting hollows for ducks, lorikeets, pardalotes and kestrels. “As a result, Nacap, the pipeline contractor preserved the trees and worked around them.”

Advisian Environmental Scientist Kim Stewart photographed the birds on January 19 showing that the kestrel chick was close to fledging and the pardalotes were still actively feeding chicks in the nest.

“Apart from actively working to minimise our impact on the environment as we construct this vital infrastructure, we also look for opportunities to contribute where we can,” said Replacement Pipeline Project Manager David Ffrench.

“We were thrilled to be able to support two local Landcare groups to enhance the environment in the Warragul and Mt Worth areas.”

Warragul and District Urban Landcare and Mt Worth and District Landcare will undertake two projects, each of which will engage local community members with planting days and educational activities, while achieving significant environmental benefits.

The projects will each receive funding from the Esso/BHP Billiton Gippsland Basin Joint Venture through a partnership with Landcare Australia.

Esso is replacing a 187-kilometre pipeline, which transports crude oil and condensate between its facilities at Longford and Long Island Point. The pipeline is a critical piece of infrastructure that will allow the continued delivery of crude oil and condensate, and will also ensure that natural gas from our offshore Gippsland operations continues to flow to Australian households and businesses.

Construction commenced in January 2016 and it is expected that pipeline commissioning will occur in the second half of 2017.

“Being able to contribute to meaningful projects in the local community is a small gesture we can make to thank the community for their ongoing support,” said David.

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