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| Responses to Concerns |
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| Thales Australia and the Navy aim to operate a fully functioning naval base and marine engineering site with minimum disruption to their surrounding neighbours. Over the years they have modified practices to ensure this is achieved. |
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In particular Thales Australia has:
- Formalised procedures to ensure environmental impacts are considered and integrated in the establishment of project work plans and operations;
- Modified vehicles and muffled sections of machinery that create noise;
- Relocated work activities in the dry dock at various times of the day to ensure noise impacts are modified;
- Modified and / or re-scheduled some work activities to reduce the impact of noisy activities after 10 pm where possible;
- Continued noise monitoring at two locations on site and at the boundary with our neighbours;
- Employed and dedicated appropriately trained staff to address environmental and community related matters;
- Developed a Community Relations Plan and resourced the implementation;
- Modified on-site lighting; and
- Centralised a complaints handling system with the Navy.
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The Navy has implemented similar modifications to that of Thales Australia as well as modifying particular practises including:
- Assessing work schedules for ship maintenance for potential impacts on neighbours. If work on upper decks is required, ships are berthed at Fleet Base East 3 and beyond;
- Berthing ships that do not require upper deck work at Fleet Base East 4 and 5;
- The decommissioning of steam driven ships which has resulted in less noise generation because boilers are no longer required on a regular basis;
- Scheduling the movement of ships between normal working hours wherever possible;
- Modified social events at Kuttabul and kept outdoor activities to a minimum beyond 10.00pm; and
- Reduced the use of Public Address (PA) systems on Garden Island and on upper decks of ships after normal working hours.
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