V&V Walsh has cleared a planning hurdle over its new wastewater treatment plant, with an assessment panel unanimously approving the $32 million proposal.
The Regional Development Assessment Panel (DAP) backed V&V Walsh’s plan to build a wastewater plant next to its existing Abattoir on Rawling Road in Davenport.
The proposal includes the treatment facility, a laboratory, a control, pipework to connect the wastewater plant to the main abattoir and associated parking.
At the meeting, DAP presiding member Dale Page said the wastewater treatment facility would support any potential future upgrades at the Davenport abattoir.
“From the information provided and the associated technical documents, it’s evident that a new wastewater treatment plant is incidental to the main use on site which has been in operation for many, many years,” she said.
V&V Walsh is part of Craig Mostyn Group.
In its development application, compiled by Planned Focus, V&V Walsh said the contemporary wastewater management was central to the ongoing viability and success of the existing abattoir operation.
"The management of wastewater produced during the food processing process at V&V Walsh is an integral component of both our ongoing operations and our plans to expand to respond to the upcoming closure of the live sheep trade," a Craig Mostyn Group spokesperson told Business News.
"To prepare for the April 2028 deadline for live sheep exports, it was important to commence the design, planning and approvals process.
"The proposed new wastewater plant would increase our capacity, reduce our energy cost and provide better wastewater outcomes, however there are several other boxes we need to tick for the project to progress."
City of Bunbury councillor and DAP member Cheryl Kozisek said V&V Walsh was a major employee in the South West region.
“Considering the issues surrounding our lower levels of rainfall and the accelerating needs in our community for water, a new wastewater treatment plant is timely and certainly puts V&V Walsh to operate sustainably for many years in the future,” she said at the meeting.
“The capital investment of $32 million shows a real commitment to the area, especially in light of the recent closure of Albemarle.”
New York Stock Exchange-listed miner Albemarle Corporation announced it would put the remainder of its Kemerton lithium hydroxide operation on care and maintenance, as of last week.
The decision has impacted about 250 of the 375 jobs in the miner’s WA workforce, with concerns over the impact to workers in the South West.
At the panel meeting, City of Bunbury councillor and DAP member Todd Brown said V&V Walsh’s technology for the wastewater plant would help secure local jobs.
“The commitment to continuous improvement since the 1960s ensures Bunbury remains a substantial and competitive industrial hub for generations to come,” he said.
