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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1077 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 November 2018 by Hon Peter Collier

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

BANKSIA ROAD SAND MINE

1077. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:

I refer to the proposed development of the Banksia Road sand mine.

(1) Is the Banksia Road sand mine project subject to an environmental approvals process; and, if so, what is the current status of that approval?

(2) What are the environmental impacts if the project is approved, given the banksia woodland is currently managed as a conservation reserve and considered to be a nationally protected ecological community?

(3) Does the Environmental Protection Authority provide guidance for the assessment of environmental factors that determine whether buffer distances are required to separate industrial land use from sensitive land use?

(4) If yes to (3), will it be possible for the Banksia Road sand mine project to operate with the stipulated buffer between it and residential homes, and what environmental impacts would residents experience if the project is approved?

(5) Have any issues been raised by local communities about the alignment of the Banksia Road sand mine project?

(6) If yes to (5), what are those issues, how has the department responded to these concerns, and will the minister table this correspondence; and, if not, why not?

Hon DARREN WEST replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Regional Development, I provide the following answer.

(1) Yes, mining lease M70/915 was subject to an environmental approval process and it received those approvals under the previous Liberal–National government between 2009 and 2016. The proposed development is currently being assessed by the commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

(2) Current approvals allow for the clearing of up to 16.25 hectares of native vegetation and the extraction of three million tonnes of sand within M70/915 over a 12-year period. M70/915 is located within crown reserve 24784 for recreation and crown reserve 32621 for use as a rifle range. Impacts on the banksia woodland were considered as part of the clearing permit assessment and were deemed to be acceptable, with the implementation of various conditions to protect the woodland.

(3) Yes. The Environmental Protection Authority's publication, ''Separation Distances between Industrial and Sensitive Land Uses'', published in June 2005, provides general advice for proponents, responsible authorities and the community on recommended separation distances between industrial activities and sensitive receptors. It is used as a tool to inform assessments by responsible authorities for these activities. Statutory buffers are set by relevant planning authorities through the planning process.

(4) Not applicable.

(5) Yes.

(6) Issues raised include dust and noise, the clearing of native vegetation and the management of contamination. The department has responded to these concerns by ensuring that those issues are properly considered within the assessment of applications before the department. The department has been unable to locate the relevant correspondence within the time frame available to fully respond to this question.