❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses Coca-Cola's groundwater extraction practices in the City of Armadale, focusing on monitoring, licensing, and transparency regarding meetings with the company. The response clarifies monitoring responsibilities and site locations, while denying the existence of specific briefing notes for a meeting.
AnsweredQoN 573Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH HILLS GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION — COCA-COLA
573. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the recent revelations
that Coca-Cola has been accessing underground water for free for decades in the
City of Armadale.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the City of Armadale claims it has no role in regulating
water extraction or monitoring how much water is taken and refers questions
back to the minister's department?
(2) Who is monitoring how much water is being extracted from
aquifers in the City of Armadale?
(3) What are the three sites from
which groundwater is being extracted for bottled water?
(4) Will the
minister table the briefing note and documents she received associated with her
meeting with the company on 6 May 2024?
(5) When is the next meeting with
the company scheduled to occur?
573. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the recent revelations
that Coca-Cola has been accessing underground water for free for decades in the
City of Armadale.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the City of Armadale claims it has no role in regulating
water extraction or monitoring how much water is taken and refers questions
back to the minister's department?
(2) Who is monitoring how much water is being extracted from
aquifers in the City of Armadale?
(3) What are the three sites from
which groundwater is being extracted for bottled water?
(4) Will the
minister table the briefing note and documents she received associated with her
meeting with the company on 6 May 2024?
(5) When is the next meeting with
the company scheduled to occur?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. I provide the following answer on behalf of the
Minister for Water.
(1) The minister
is aware of comments by the City of Armadale that, in 1997, the former Liberal
minister Graham Kierath granted approval to increase the number of truckloads
of groundwater extracted each week from 15 Irymple Road, and in doing so
restricted the city from monitoring groundwater extraction from the property
under its planning approval.
(2) There are both licensed and unlicensed water users
in the City of Armadale. Licensed water users under the Rights in Water
and Irrigation Act 1914 are monitored by the Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation. Unlicensed water users are responsible for monitoring
their own groundwater take.
(3) In unproclaimed groundwater areas in the City of Armadale, there are two sites: 15
Irymple Road, Karragullen , and 786 Albany Highway, Bedfordale.
(4) No specific briefing
notes or documents were received for the meeting with the company on 6 May
2024.
(5) The Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation is meeting with Coca-Cola on a regular basis.
some notice of the question. I provide the following answer on behalf of the
Minister for Water.
(1) The minister
is aware of comments by the City of Armadale that, in 1997, the former Liberal
minister Graham Kierath granted approval to increase the number of truckloads
of groundwater extracted each week from 15 Irymple Road, and in doing so
restricted the city from monitoring groundwater extraction from the property
under its planning approval.
(2) There are both licensed and unlicensed water users
in the City of Armadale. Licensed water users under the Rights in Water
and Irrigation Act 1914 are monitored by the Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation. Unlicensed water users are responsible for monitoring
their own groundwater take.
(3) In unproclaimed groundwater areas in the City of Armadale, there are two sites: 15
Irymple Road, Karragullen , and 786 Albany Highway, Bedfordale.
(4) No specific briefing
notes or documents were received for the meeting with the company on 6 May
2024.
(5) The Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation is meeting with Coca-Cola on a regular basis.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.