Jandakot Airport - proposed expansion
258. Hon ALISON XAMON to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the Jandakot groundwater mound. The minister responded to question on notice 2164 stating that the Department of Water had written several times to the commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and Arts regarding the expansion of Jandakot Airport.
(1) What representations has the Department of Water made to the commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts regarding the expansion of Jandakot Airport?
(2) Will the minister table those letters, representations and submissions?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
Hon HELEN MORTON replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Water has provided the following response —
(1)-(2) The Department of Water made several representations that related to the Jandakot Airport expansion through correspondence and a meeting with the commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. I table the letters and a policy document. They include a letter dated 24 October 2008 to Jandakot Airport Holdings consultant, Mr Rhys Houlihan, from VDM Environmental. The letter was also forwarded to the director of the commonwealth and territories section, environmental assessment, of DEWHA for noting. The Jandakot groundwater protection policy was presented to representatives of DEWHA during a meeting held between the Department of Water and DEWHA on 26 November 2008 at which the potential risks to the groundwater source from the potential commercial development of Jandakot Airport were discussed. A letter with the Department of Water’s comments with regard to the Jandakot expansion—assessment reference 2009/4795—was provided to DEWHA on 6 April 2009. The proposed development at the Jandakot Airport within the P1 public drinking water source area was not supported by the Department of Water.
(3) Not applicable. [See paper 2046.]