Rezoning the land surrounding the Kwinana industrial area to allow for high density residential development would be inappropriate, according to Environmental Protection Authority chairman Paul Vogel.
Rezoning the land surrounding the Kwinana industrial area to allow for high density residential development would be inappropriate, according to Environmental Protection Authority chairman Paul Vogel.
Rezoning the land surrounding the Kwinana Industrial Area to allow for high density residential development would be inappropriate, according to Environmental Protection Authority chairman Paul Vogel.
He supported the Kwinana Industries Council's opposition to the City of Rockingham's proposal to rezone the 20 hectares of land which is currently the designated air quality buffer zone to the Kwinana industrial area.
KIC and Dr Vogel both warned residential development of the site would attract similar issues with air quality control to those resulting from residential encroachment on the Cockburn Cement industrial site.
"The EPA would have the view that a high density residential development in the buffer is inappropriate and it would end in tears," Dr Vogel said.
"There is already a parliamentary enquiry into development in the buffer and impacts from Cockburn Cement, why would we want to perpetuate that problem?
"The purpose of the buffer is to ensure industry can manage its activities and make sure it doesn't have an impact on the community and likewise so that you don't get encroachment of the community onto industry.
"You start putting people on the buffer, you start eroding the value of that. Once they are there and have built houses and you have a problem, what do you do? It's very hard to move them out again."
The KIC said the buffer zone acts as an important separation of the various land uses in the area and it must be retained for the future well-being of industry and the community.
Dr Vogel said the KIC has been in contact with the EPA, and he would support the industry council in its opposition to the rezoning.
"Resist the temptation to put people in harm's way. It is beggar's belief that people would still want to do that," Dr Vogel said.
A parliamentary inquiry is currently taking place into the encroachment of residential development in Beeliar on the Cockburn Cement site.
In April Cockburn Cement general manager operations Darrin Strange told the inquiry government needed to learn from the Cockburn Cement Munster experience by establishing appropriate buffers around future industries in Western Australia.