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.