Red tape threatens WA donga jobs

Local donga manufacturer Complete Portables may be forced to move its manufacturing business to China due to delays in the Barnett government's approvals process, putting 90 jobs at risk, the Labor party claims.

"Complete Portables employs 90 Western Australians to manufacture dongas for the mining and construction industry but due to a planning holdup those jobs are now under threat," Shadow Planning Minister Mark McGowan said.

Complete Portables has purchased land on Power Avenue, Wattelup to build a manufacturing facility.

"The new facility would be state of the art and enable the business to compete with major donga manufacturers in China and Thailand," Mr McGowan said.

"However the Planning Commission has slowed down the approvals process so much that out of frustration Managing Director Emanuel Dillon has been to China and Thailand to examine options to move his manufacturing facility there.

"Complete Portables entered the Barnett Government's approvals process one year ago and still has no outcome.

"This is despite the fact that there are no environmental issues surrounding this approval and the land is zoned for industry."

However, Department of Planning director general, Eric Lumsden said the actions taken by company meant the State Administrative Tribunal is now the determining authority on the application.

"The applicant took a deemed refusal before the Western Australian Planning Commission could determine his application and appealed to the State Administrative Tribunal," Mr Lumsden said in a statement.

A deemed refusal occurs when the determining authority has not made a decision on a development application within 60 days, thereby allowing the applicant to lodge a right of review to the State Administrative Tribunal under legislation.

"The Department of Planning, on behalf of the Commission, is working proactively with the applicant's consultant to reach agreement on conditional approval which will be the subject of a consent order authorised by the State Administrative Tribunal," Mr Lumsden said.

"There is an issue with a risk management approach to excavating the land, which is within close proximity of the Dampier Bunbury Gas Pipeline.

"The Department has been trying to resolve the issue in light of the State Administrative Tribunal hearing.

"The parties have a directions hearing at the State Administrative Tribunal on Thursday (19 November) at which progress will be discussed."

Mr McGowan said the company had been advised that the Planning Commission had one staffer working three days per week on approvals for this industrial estate and this staffer has been absent for some of the year due to illness.

"Premier Barnett regularly claims that his Government is acting to enhance approvals yet the reality is shockingly different," he said.

"If there were planning issues surrounding this project, the Barnett Government should act to fix the problems and get on with the approval.

"We have had a decline in small and medium business confidence and massive increase in unemployment.

"In light of this case it is understandable how that has happened."