Question On Notice No. 1126 asked in the Legislative Council on 24 November 2022 by Hon Neil Thomson
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Planning
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the advice of the Environmental Protection Authority to
the Minister for Environment under Section 16(e) of the Environmental
Protection Act 1986 on; consideration of potential health and amenity impacts
of dust in determining the size of a buffer for urban development in the
Mandogalup area, where it is stated that the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) resolved in 2011 that
the extent and location of the buffer around the Alcoa Residue Disposal Area (RDA) should be
reviewed every five years (i.e. 2016), and I ask:
(a) was the
review of the Alcoa RDA completed in 2016 and subsequently in 2021 or 2022
as recommended by WAPC;
(b) if not,
why not;
(c) was a
decision taken by the WAPC or the Minister negating the need to complete a
review of the Alcoa RDA; and
(d) when is
it expected that the latest review will be available?
Answered on 14 February 2023
(a)-(d) In 2019, the State Government requested the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage apply an Improvement Plan to the Mandogalup area. The Improvement Plan (IP47) was gazetted in April 2019.
The significant engagement program undertaken since 2019 has informed the recent endorsement by the WAPC of a preferred land use scenario for IP47 which will underpin the draft Improvement Scheme.
Drafting of the Scheme has commenced and is aimed to resolve the long-standing and complex history associated with the Mandogalup area in the context of the Kwinana Industrial Buffer.