THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING IS UPDATING THEIR POLICY ON THE PROTECTION OF THE JANDAKOT GROUNDWATER SUPPLY MOUND. THE POLICY EXTENDS INTO SIX LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES MAKING AN OVERARCHING POLICY ESSENTIAL FOR GETTING QUALITY OUTCOMES WITHOUT UNNECESSARY STERILISATION OF LAND.
Stretching from the City of Canning in the north to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale in the south and West to the City of Kwinana, the mound is a valuable source of drinking water. It is also some land which enjoys access to transport and reasonable proximity to key facilities so it is attractive for residential, commercial and retail developments.
The policy attempts to balance out potential land uses and water source protection. For development to occur the project must demonstrate that any risk to the water supply can be managed and there is net long term public benefit attributable to the proposed rezoning.
The policy stems back to the 1994 Parliamentary Select Committee on Metropolitan Development and Groundwater supplies which made the important recommendation that the Department of Planning’s policy be amended to strengthen groundwater protection mechanisms to ensure the protection of the Gnangara and Jandakot water sources.
Predating that policy was the 1992 Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) 2.1 – The Peel-Harvey Coastal Plain Catchment, which overlaps the policy on the Jandakot water mound. SPP 2.1 seeks to ensure that there is no significant increase of nutrients into the estuary from urban sources and underpinned government policy to deliver mains sewerage in many areas in Perth.
Today the standards for limiting and managing water flows from developments, and any associated sediments or pollutants, are very high. During construction developers adopt management controls such as those detailed in the “Erosion and Sediment Control Manual for the Darling Range, Perth, Western Australia.” Mechanisms range from installing settling ponds to spreading hay to make sure sediment does not leave the site.
Ensuring the water quality remains high post development is everybody’s responsibility and below are a few things that everybody should routinely do:
1. Pick up rubbish to keep it out of storm drains
2. Wash your car with detergents which are low in phosphorous to reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our water system.
3. Limit lawn and garden chemicals to the amount on the instructions.
4. Dispose of used oil, paints, and other household chemicals properly, not in drains.
5. Control soil erosion on your property
The comment period for the Jandakot Groundwater Protection Policy closed last week.