487. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Minister for Environment:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon Robin Chapple, who is off on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the Port Hedland dust program established under the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and to the Premier’s media statement of 22 March titled “New border controls to help protect Western Australia”.
(1) Does the minister agree with the Premier that all industrial operations at the port of Port Hedland are essential services?
(2) Of the operations referred to in (1), which are fitted with light detection and ranging sensors to monitor dust pollution?
(3) Given that the source of the dust is still unknown, does the minister agree that mandating LiDAR sensors for all operations in the area would definitively locate the source of the pollution?
(4) Given that the Western Australian Planning Commission is drafting a document to restrict residences in the town, why are operations allowed to commence or to continue at Port Hedland with no dust monitoring requirement?
(5) Should efforts to mitigate the dust pollution problem fail, does the minister intend to recommend the relocation of residents and/or industries?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank Hon Robin Chapple for some notice of the question.
(1) The mining industry has been a vital part of insulating our state from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was deemed an essential service to safeguard jobs and the economic prosperity of the state.
(2) I have been advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is not aware of any light detection and ranging equipment operating in Port Hedland at this time.
(3)–(5) The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation regulates dust emissions from port operations under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. I am advised that although LiDAR can be useful in identifying sources and pathways of dust in Port Hedland, it has some limitations and is only one of a number of means of identifying emission sources. All licensed port operations in Port Hedland are required to operate a network of air quality monitors around the perimeter of their premises to monitor and respond to elevated dust levels. Licensees are also subject to a range of other dust monitoring and mitigation requirements as part of licence conditions. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is continuing to implement the government-endorsed recommendations of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce. This includes taking control of the Port Hedland ambient air quality monitoring network and developing and implementing dust management guidelines for bulk-handling port premises.