Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 826 asked in the Legislative Council on 20 August 2020 by Hon Jacqui Boydell

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

DUST MANAGEMENT — AIR QUALITY MONITORING — PORT HEDLAND

826. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Environment:

I refer to the dust monitoring network currently under the responsibility of Port Hedland Industries Council.

(1) Has the planned transference of responsibility from the Port Hedland Industries Council to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation been completed?

(2) If no to (1), why not, and when is the new deadline for transference?

(3) If yes to (1), can residents access the real-time monitoring data on the DWER website, with trends and further analysis reported annually?

(4) What is the cost of the appropriate cost-recovery arrangement with industry?

(5) Will the minister table a list of any meetings and/or correspondence between DWER, PHIC and industry to negotiate the transfer of responsibility, and please include dates, location and attendees?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) No.

(2) The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is continuing work on a memorandum of understanding with the Port Hedland Industries Council and its member companies to agree on the appropriate cost-recovery arrangements. DWER received comments from PHIC on the draft in July 2020 and is currently considering those comments. DWER expects to formally take over operation of the Port Hedland air monitoring network in early 2021. In the interim, PHIC will continue to monitor ambient air quality in Port Hedland and display the results on its website.

(3) Not applicable.

(4) The cost will not be known until the procurement process and the memorandum of understanding have been finalised.

(5) Trying to accommodate the broad scope of this question has not been possible in the limited time provided. I request that the honourable member put this part of the question on notice.