Question Without Notice No. 932 asked in the Legislative Council on 16 November 2010 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Parliament: 38 Session: 1
LAKE NOWERGUP VICINITY — LIMESTONE QUARRY
932. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Planning:
I refer to proposals to develop a limestone quarry close to Lake Nowergup.
(1) The minister was quoted in media reports as stating he would ensure that environmental aspects were taken into account. What are the environmental aspects to which the minister referred?
(2) What call-in powers are available to the minister to stop the quarry?
(3) Is the minister aware of other more suitable locations for limestone quarrying in the vicinity?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Minister for Environment determined appeals in relation to the Environmental Protection Authority’s decision not to assess the proposal on 30 March 2010—reference 299-300 of 2009. These decisions were made on the understanding that other provisions under the act will apply in the future, including requirements for works approvals, licences and clearing permits. The Western Australian Planning Commission’s conditional approval to a development application—reference 30-50215-1—for extractive industry on the subject land on 26 October 2010 also addressed environmental aspects, including that excavation and rehabilitation is to be done in accordance with the approved excavation and rehabilitation management plan, and the determination and protection of buffer areas is to be based on Department of Environment and Conservation advice.
(2) The proposal is currently being considered by the State Administrative Tribunal, which is well placed to deal with this matter.
(3) The proposed extractive industry is within a priority resource area identified by state planning policy 2.4, basic raw materials. The minister is advised that the geological stratas that contain basic raw materials in the metropolitan area run north to south along the Perth coastal plain, with lime sand closest to the coast, and there is a strata of limestone, including the subject Wanneroo limestone area, and, to the east, a sand strata. The Wanneroo limestone resource has provided the limestone material for the current development of the northern suburbs and is critical to the future northern growth. The next northern significant limestone resource occurs in Yanchep National Park. To the south, development has sterilised limestone resources until south of Fremantle, which highlights the critical nature of this area as an important metropolitan limestone resource.