THE Barnett Government is heading to Wanneroo this week to explain its green growth strategy for developing Perth including Yanchep and Two Rocks during the next three to four decades.
Originally announced as the Perth and Peel @ 3.5 million the strategy is now often called the Green Growth Plan.
After criticism by WA Labor and councils that the maps available to the community, the Opposition and local government were scant on detail the Department of Premier and Cabinet will be in Wanneroo on Wednesday, April 20 as part of a community consultation process.
The City of Wanneroo said the community forum, which had been organised by the department not the council, would include a Q & A session as well.
Last month the Opposition said the government’s Green Growth Plan had provided illegible maps, making it impossible for people to make an informed comment.
Opposition Environment spokesman Chris Tallentire said detailed maps had to be part of the full disclosure of the plan.
Mr Tallentire said concern about the poor quality of the maps, in an A4 format and very low resolution, followed a leaked report showing that half of the already endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo population near Perth would be wiped out under the Liberal’s Perth and Peel green growth plan.
He said it was apparent from the leaked documents that the plan needed a substantial overhaul.
“If that doesn’t happen half of Perth’s endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos will be lost,’’ he said.
Opposition Planning spokeswoman Rita Saffioti said the plan affected many landowners, but as yet many of them would have no idea about the potential impact.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet website said the government prepared the draft Perth and Peel Green Growth Plan for 3.5 million (Green Growth Plan ) delivers two critical outcomes.
One was cutting red tape by securing upfront commonwealth environmental approvals and streamlining state environmental approvals for the development required to support growth to 3.5 million people.
Two was an unprecedented protection of Western Australian bushland, rivers, wildlife and wetlands through implementation of a comprehensive plan to protect the environment.
“The draft Green Growth Plan is a 21st century approach to integrating environmental protection and land use planning and is based on the largest urban-based environmental assessment ever undertaken in Australia,’’ the website said.
“It has allowed the cumulative environmental impacts of growth to 3.5 million people to be considered and minimised at an early stage and will deliver a long term and comprehensive program of conservation actions at a landscape scale.
“Improving certainty is at the core of the draft Green Growth Plan.
“It will provide certainty in relation to the environmental outcomes that will be delivered, the areas where developed can be contemplated and the environmental obligations that will apply in terms of avoidance, mitigation and conservation actions.
“The Green Growth Plan will secure approval under Part 10 of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and deliver streamlined approvals processes under the Western Australian Environmental Protection Act 1986 for the following development actions or ‘classes of action’ – urban and industrial development, rural residential development, infrastructure development, basic raw materials extraction and harvesting of pine plantations.
The community forum will be held at the Wanneroo Football Clubrooms (access from Noonan Dr) from 6pm to 8pm.
RSVP to greengrowthplan@dpc.wa.gov.au
More information about the green growth plan is available at www.dpc.wa.gov.au/greengrowthplan
