❓ An inquiry into the decision to reduce the scale of the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant and extend the operation of the Point Peron plant, covering costs, environmental impact, consultation, and potential assistance to affected businesses. The response indicates cost savings, adherence to existing environmental licenses, and no compensation for businesses.
AnsweredQoN 7902Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the decision to reduce the scale of the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant and extend the operation of the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant past 2015, and I ask:
(a) what will be the annual cost of running both the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant and the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant concurrently;
(b) what is the additional annual cost (above that previously budgeted) for running both the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant and the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant concurrently;
(c) were any environmental assessments conducted in making the decision to continue operations at Point Peron past 2015; and
(i) if so, will the Minister table those assessments and, if not, why not;
(d) was any community consultation carried out before making the decision to extend the life of the plant and, if so, what was the nature of that community consultation;
(e) was the City of Rockingham consulted in making this decision; and
(i) if so, how was the City consulted; and
(ii) if not, why not;
(f) were social impact assessments undertaken before making the decision to reduce the scale of the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant and, if not, why not;
(g) will the new East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant be capable of being expanded to service a projected 700,000 people by 2070; and
(h) will any assistance be given to businesses in Point Peron which have made investments reliant on the decommissioning of the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015; and
(i) if so, what is the nature of the assistance; and
(ii) if not, why not?
(a) what will be the annual cost of running both the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant and the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant concurrently;
(b) what is the additional annual cost (above that previously budgeted) for running both the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant and the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant concurrently;
(c) were any environmental assessments conducted in making the decision to continue operations at Point Peron past 2015; and
(i) if so, will the Minister table those assessments and, if not, why not;
(d) was any community consultation carried out before making the decision to extend the life of the plant and, if so, what was the nature of that community consultation;
(e) was the City of Rockingham consulted in making this decision; and
(i) if so, how was the City consulted; and
(ii) if not, why not;
(f) were social impact assessments undertaken before making the decision to reduce the scale of the East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant and, if not, why not;
(g) will the new East Rockingham Wastewater Treatment Plant be capable of being expanded to service a projected 700,000 people by 2070; and
(h) will any assistance be given to businesses in Point Peron which have made investments reliant on the decommissioning of the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2015; and
(i) if so, what is the nature of the assistance; and
(ii) if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 June 2012
Responded by
Minister for Water
Response time
41 days
(a) The operational and maintenance cost (running cost) of the Point Peron Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is estimated at $1.6 million a year. The annual running cost associated with the proposed 20 megalitres a day (ML/d) East Rockingham WWTP is $4.2 million.
(b) Nil. The operational and maintenance cost (running cost) associated with a 40 ML/d East Rockingham WWTP is estimated at $7.3 million.
(c) No. The Point Peron WWTP Plant operates, and will continue to operate, within its Part V Environmental Licence #L4202/1991/10. The discharges from this plant are in accordance with the previously assessed Sepia Depression Ocean Outlet (SDOOL), (Ministerial Statement 665, 28 October 2004) and will continue to be so.
(i) Not applicable
(d) No
(e) Yes
(i) On 22 February 2012, the Water Corporation met with the City of Rockingham's Planning and Development Services Director and members of the City's Planning and Environmental Departments. The Corporation outlined its revised plans for East Rockingham WWTP and Point Peron WWTP at this meeting. The Corporation subsequently wrote to the City of Rockingham's Chief Executive Officer on 2 March 2012 to formally confirm the change of project scope.
(ii) Not applicable
(f) A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) was conducted for East Rockingham WWTP based on it being built incrementally to full capacity of 160 ML/d by 2070. The fact that the project's initial increment now will be 20 ML/d, compared to 40 ML/d, has no significant impact on the SIA's original findings.
(g) Yes
(h) No
(i) Not applicable
(ii) The Point Peron WWTP site is an important Water Corporation asset as it is the location of the ocean outlet for the SDOOL, which will continue to operate. As such, Water Corporation has never indicated what the decommissioning of Point Peron WWTP would entail, who would do it, or whether the land, or some portion of it, would still be required. Therefore, the Corporation considers any private business plans based on the projected scope and outcomes of the Point Peron WWTP decommissioning process are highly speculative and do not warrant compensation.
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(b) Nil. The operational and maintenance cost (running cost) associated with a 40 ML/d East Rockingham WWTP is estimated at $7.3 million.
(c) No. The Point Peron WWTP Plant operates, and will continue to operate, within its Part V Environmental Licence #L4202/1991/10. The discharges from this plant are in accordance with the previously assessed Sepia Depression Ocean Outlet (SDOOL), (Ministerial Statement 665, 28 October 2004) and will continue to be so.
(i) Not applicable
(d) No
(e) Yes
(i) On 22 February 2012, the Water Corporation met with the City of Rockingham's Planning and Development Services Director and members of the City's Planning and Environmental Departments. The Corporation outlined its revised plans for East Rockingham WWTP and Point Peron WWTP at this meeting. The Corporation subsequently wrote to the City of Rockingham's Chief Executive Officer on 2 March 2012 to formally confirm the change of project scope.
(ii) Not applicable
(f) A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) was conducted for East Rockingham WWTP based on it being built incrementally to full capacity of 160 ML/d by 2070. The fact that the project's initial increment now will be 20 ML/d, compared to 40 ML/d, has no significant impact on the SIA's original findings.
(g) Yes
(h) No
(i) Not applicable
(ii) The Point Peron WWTP site is an important Water Corporation asset as it is the location of the ocean outlet for the SDOOL, which will continue to operate. As such, Water Corporation has never indicated what the decommissioning of Point Peron WWTP would entail, who would do it, or whether the land, or some portion of it, would still be required. Therefore, the Corporation considers any private business plans based on the projected scope and outcomes of the Point Peron WWTP decommissioning process are highly speculative and do not warrant compensation.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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