John Ferrier and his wife Jane,with Alison (3), who live next door to the quarry believe the temporary plant may become a permanent fixture.
Camera IconJohn Ferrier and his wife Jane,with Alison (3), who live next door to the quarry believe the temporary plant may become a permanent fixture. Credit: Supplied/Marcelo Palacios

Fears of pollutant exposure

Emma Young, Comment NewsComment News

‘My daughter is three years old,’ he said.

‘I’m worried about exposing her to pollutants.’

Mr Ferrier has lived next to the quarry for 27 years.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

‘We put up with the dust from the quarry operations but an asphalt plant belongs in an industrial area,’ he said.

‘I don’t believe it will be temporary in the end.

‘Once they have approval to put in a temporary plant it will only be a formality to put another there any time they wish.’

The City of Gosnells, which must make a recommendation to the WA Planning Commission on the proposal, is still accepting public submissions regarding it until this Friday, January 24.

Gosnells and Districts Ratepayers Association is backing residents, who have now held two community meetings on the subject, and secretary David Munut wrote to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

He asked the authority to evaluate the proposal under the Environmental Protection Act because of concerns over separation distances from sensitive land uses, and over particulate, gaseous and odorous emissions.

The authority responded that the plant could receive appropriate regulation under existing conditions and through amendments made to Boral’s licence conditions, which were under review at present.

‘The EPA is satisfied that with this regulation and management the potential environmental impacts are unlikely to be significant,’ said the letter from chairman Paul Vogel said.

‘The EPA is not required to accept a referral of a proposal that is not significant and will not be giving further consideration of your referral.’

Mr Munut believed this response was in breach of the Act and wrote to the EPA to say so, but when the Comment News questioned the EPA about this accusation, a spokeswoman restated Mr Vogel’s comments.