Media Statements - Ministers release strategy to protect Perth's drinking water

2/1/01

A new plan to protect Perth’s drinking water by determining appropriate land use for the Gnangara area was released today by the State Government.

In a joint release, Planning Minister Graham Kierath and Water Resources Minister Kim Hames launched the Gnangara Land Use and Water Management Strategy.

Mr Kierath said that with the objective of protecting the important ground water resource, the strategy determined some areas of rural land in Landsdale could be possible future urban areas if other planning requirements were met.

“The strategy will protect the public drinking water supply of the Gnangara Mound by controlling land use and the type of development occurring over the mound,” the Minister said.

Dr Hames said the strategy was important because the Gnangara Mound currently supplied about 45 per cent of Perth’s public drinking water.

“As the Perth region grows, the mound will be relied upon to supply an increasing proportion of ground water for public use,” he said.

Mr Kierath said a Land Use Plan - contained in the strategy - outlined preferred land uses and objectives to recognise the importance of the ground water supply when making planning decisions for the area.

He said the area was allocated a priority source protection classification that complemented the proposed zoning or reservation in the Metropolitan Region Scheme and local town planning schemes.

It is proposed that:

a Water Catchment Reservation (WCR) be placed on all land within a Priority One (public and private land) source protection area;

a Rural Water Protection Zone (RWPZ) be placed on all land within a Priority Two source protection area; and -

land within the Priority Three source protection areas remains as the existing zone or reservation.

Mr Kierath said it was recommended that land affected by the Water Catchment Reservation be purchased by the State Government as negotiated with the landowner.

“Existing land uses in Priority One areas can continue but will need to be managed to minimise the contamination risks to ground water,” he said.

Mr Kierath said the strategy would be implemented by amendments to the MRS and local town planning schemes to reflect the intent of the proposed WCR and RWPZ.

He said a Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) would be prepared containing:

policy objectives;

land use table outlining permitted, non-permitted and discretionary uses;

guidelines and performance standards for land use; and -

details of how planning applications would be processed and determined for development within the WCR and RWPZ.

Dr Hames said the Water and Rivers Commission would revise the Underground Water Pollution Control Area boundaries and priority source protection classification areas to address the Metropolitan Region Scheme and local town planning scheme amendments.

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Zac Donovan (08) 9213 6400
Sandy Gater (08) 9424 7450