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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-03-06 Daily Xml
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WHYALLA AREA

Ms BREUER (Giles) (15:15): As a member of government what I want to talk about today does give me concern, but this is a matter of grave concern to me and to my community, and I am joining forces with my local council to express concerns about the future of our Whyalla area and the lack of consultation by state government departments and planning bodies with the Whyalla community.

I want to say at the outset that I am not opposing development in our area, because we have come out of a decline now, since the year 2000, and we are looking for a very, very positive future for Whyalla. What I am saying is that we are not getting an opportunity to discuss any proposals for our area, and that potentially we could have another disaster on our hands.

I need to emphasise that we are just ending an era of environmental vandalism and damage, which has polluted visually and emotionally our community, and the rest of the world's view of our community. We are finally sorting out our dust problem in Whyalla, and we are going forward on that.

Today an article was featured in the media regarding companies joining forces to fast track plans to make Port Bonython a key iron ore export centre. Four mining companies have joined forces to fast track plans to make Port Bonython a key iron ore export centre for the state's mining boom. The Upper Spencer port is commonly used to export LPG and crude oil from the Cooper Basin. The Port Bonython Bulk Users Group will be an umbrella organisation backed by the companies Centrex Metals, IMX Resources, Iron Clad Mining and Western Plains Resources.

The group says that Port Bonython is an established industrial site and that much of the land suitable for development is owned by the state government. My first point is: what consultation has there been with our community and with our council on this? We know a little bit about it, but the knowledge is very limited.

I also need to talk today about another area of major impact on us, and that is the proposed expansion of the defence department's training range, and I want to ensure that Whyalla is not significantly disadvantaged by the proposed expansion of that training range in our area. It has the potential to negatively impact on Whyalla in a number of areas. It is a huge area of our land around Whyalla which is being taken by the Department of Defence. We need to ensure that Whyalla interests are not put to one side in the rush to massively expand that training area.

Much of the land to our north and west will be lost under this current expansion proposal. At this stage the benefits flowing to Whyalla as a result of this expansion are not much more than the sales of pies and pasties and pizzas. We are getting very little benefit from it. The lion's share of the defence related benefits will accrue to Adelaide, and we will be expected to bear the costs in our region.

The proposed boundaries of the expansion include the area originally zoned for the manufacture of titanium oxide, a project which died some years ago. However, alternatively, the site would be appropriate for a range of other resource processing activities. The loss of the land might in the long term put additional industrial development pressures on the Point Lowly Peninsula, which, in turn, will have an impact on the environmental and recreational values of the area.

I need to make it clear that the retention of the 20 square kilometre site is not negotiable, as its loss has a potential long-term negative impact on the diversification of Whyalla's economic base. Any further alienation or intrusion on that northern coastline is not acceptable.

The expansion will set up ongoing conflict over the use of the area, especially given the noise associated with additional firing exercises. The area contains some of the most stunning scenery in the state, with views across Spencer Gulf to the Flinders Rangers. Retention as a national park deserves serious consideration. We have cuttlefish one side of the peninsula and fish farming on the other.

Also, the expansion has the potential to impinge on future residential development in the western side of the city. We need to keep our options open and ensure that future residential development is not blocked. And there are a number of prospective mining areas within the expanded defence training areas. We need to have guarantees that this should not be stopped.

Recently there was a meeting with Ms Pam Martin from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to discuss Whyalla's concerns on the impact of the proposed Cultana defence range expansion. Our representatives at the meeting—namely, the mayor, the deputy mayor and the CEO—were left deeply dissatisfied. The clear impression was that the concerns raised were not treated seriously. We know now that senior public servants from other departments also view the proposed boundary expansion as a threat to Whyalla and a threat to a highly prospective area, and I also have expressed concerns about these proposed boundaries.

I express serious concerns that relevant state government departments are not taking seriously our legitimate concerns. I understand that plans for Lowly Peninsula have been developed that there has been no consultation with us—our community, our council—and we should be ensuring as a state that Whyalla's interests are looked after.

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