Viewing 45808368


                  KIC welcomes buffer discussion paper

                  Weekend Courier - Rockingham, Page: 23
                  Friday, 09 January 2009
                  Ref: 45808368



            KWINANA Industries Council (KIC) has welcomed the release of a 
            position paper on the Kwinana Air Quality Buffer that reflects 
            current thinking on land use constraints from sulphur dioxide, risk, 
            dust. noise, light and odour from the Kwinana industrial area and 
            associated industry.

            The position paper has been published by the WA Planning Commission 
            in conjunction with the departments for Planning and Infrastructure, 
            Environment and Conservation and Industry and Resources.

            KIC director Chris Oughton said the paper, which generally affected 
            the north and eastern edges of the buffer, gave industry, landowners 
            and planners an indication as to what land use was likely be 
            approved in the future.

            "It takes the original purpose of the buffer well beyond the 
            original sulphur dioxide buffer to consider noise, dust, light and 
            odour as well," he said. "Contractions and expansions of the buffer 
            have been identified in the recommendations." Mr Oughton said the 
            paper was a culmination of work that began in 2002 when issues with 
            the buffer were identified when the Fremantle-Rockingham Industrial 
            Area Regional Strategy (FRIARS) was released in 1999.

            That strategy was the death knell for the Hope Valley and Wattleup 
            town sites now set aside for industry purposes.

            Mr Oughton said the position paper did not represent the final say 
            on the extent of the buffer as a further round of publication had 
            been flagged for late 2009.

            "KIC has fought long and hard for many years to protect the buffer 
            from being fretted away at the edges," he said.

            "This paper takes us further forward toward our goal of having the 
            buffer enshrined."