❓ Ms. Davies questions the Minister for Environment on the delayed decision regarding the Alkina Holdings project (York landfill). The Minister defends the delay, citing changes in ownership and plans, and accuses the previous government of initially approving the project without proper assessment.
AnsweredQoN 851Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY — ALKINA HOLDINGS PROJECT — YORK
851. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Environment:
Further
to my questions asked in this house on 21 September and 17 October this year
regarding the Alkina Holdings project to build a tip at the entrance to
the historic York town site, can the minister advise when he will be making a decision
to either green-light or reject the application?
AGENCY — ALKINA HOLDINGS PROJECT — YORK
851. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Environment:
Further
to my questions asked in this house on 21 September and 17 October this year
regarding the Alkina Holdings project to build a tip at the entrance to
the historic York town site, can the minister advise when he will be making a decision
to either green-light or reject the application?
AnswerView source ↗
That was an extraordinary question from the member, who sat
around the cabinet table of a previous government and actually decided that
this project did not require Environmental Protection Authority assessment. If
it had not been for the election of the McGowan Labor government in 2017, that
site would now be operational. There you have it. We made an election
commitment to review this project and send it to the EPA for proper assessment,
and we did that. The process has taken many years because of changes of
ownership and plans. We will consider this. We will take our time and make the
right decision. We will make the right call.
Ms M.J. Davies : You made a promise—eight
years.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : As I explained, there were changes to
the ownership and what was planned for that facility, so the assessment changed
over time.
Ms M.J. Davies : It's been done, minister.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : I remind the member that she was at
the cabinet table when the former government made the decision that this would
go ahead. If it were not for the election of a Labor government in 2017, the
community there would have this landfill facility operating right now and it
would have been operating for a number of years.
We will make the right decision. We will consider the outcome
of the EPA process. I will make a decision. I will take on board that
information from the EPA process, but I will also consider issues beyond the
environmental impact, as is my
responsibility as minister. I will make a considered decision. I will make the
right decision that gets the right balance.
around the cabinet table of a previous government and actually decided that
this project did not require Environmental Protection Authority assessment. If
it had not been for the election of the McGowan Labor government in 2017, that
site would now be operational. There you have it. We made an election
commitment to review this project and send it to the EPA for proper assessment,
and we did that. The process has taken many years because of changes of
ownership and plans. We will consider this. We will take our time and make the
right decision. We will make the right call.
Ms M.J. Davies : You made a promise—eight
years.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : As I explained, there were changes to
the ownership and what was planned for that facility, so the assessment changed
over time.
Ms M.J. Davies : It's been done, minister.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : I remind the member that she was at
the cabinet table when the former government made the decision that this would
go ahead. If it were not for the election of a Labor government in 2017, the
community there would have this landfill facility operating right now and it
would have been operating for a number of years.
We will make the right decision. We will consider the outcome
of the EPA process. I will make a decision. I will take on board that
information from the EPA process, but I will also consider issues beyond the
environmental impact, as is my
responsibility as minister. I will make a considered decision. I will make the
right decision that gets the right balance.
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