DUST MANAGEMENT —
PORT HEDLAND
954. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to the minister's
joint media release yesterday regarding dust issues in Port Hedland and her
comments that ''our response to the dust issue ensures the health of
local residents without putting at risk the industries that drive jobs for the
region and the state''.
(1) Does the
minister expect the industries that use the port to invest in the latest dust
suppression technology to reduce dust emissions at the port?
(2) What type of
commercial activity does her government see as ideal for the west end if the
issue of dust suppression is still not being addressed?
(3) Does the
government consider it acceptable to place those working in any new commercial
precinct in the west end at risk of continued exposure to dust?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the
member for the question.
(1) Yes. The
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation will complete reviews of all
port premises licences under part V of the Environmental Protection Act 1986,
applying a consistent and risk-based approach to the regulation of dust for
each premises. Licence holders will then need to make whatever investment is
required to comply with their licence conditions. Monitoring of dust will now
be undertaken by DWER rather than the Port Hedland Industries Council.
(2) The preferred
forms of commercial development in the west end will be identified as part of
the process of developing an improvement plan and improvement scheme for the
area. This will include opportunities for community consultation.
(3) The 2016 Port
Hedland health risk assessment concluded that there is no immediate or acute
health risk to the Port Hedland community but the focus should be on minimising
exposure to dust. The proposed land use planning measures, in tandem with the
proposed industry regulation approach, are seen as the most effective ways of
achieving this outcome.