Regulatory certainty

The availability of land, labour and supporting infrastructure are necessary preconditions for the long-term competitiveness of industries operating in the Western Trade Coast. However, these success factors can only be enabled if there exists a stable regulatory environment and policies to support industry development.

Industries operating in the Western Trade Coast adhere to a set of regulatory requirements in relation to air quality and noxious emissions, under the Environmental Protection (Kwinana) (Atmospheric Wastes) Regulations 1992 and the associated policy alongside broader obligations which apply to all industrial activities across Western Australia.

Industries operating in the Western Trade Coast operate under an established set of environmental regulations, which determine the maximum permissible limits of emissions from each facility. The socalled “air shed” reflects the measurement of concentration of noxious compounds in the air, as required under the Environmental Protection (Kwinana) (Atmospheric Wastes) Policy.

While industry understands that these regulatory requirements are part of their licence to operate, it is the existence of an industrial buffer, that has provided industry with the confidence to establish long-term operations in the precinct.

Regulations, which have evolved over time through the application of planning policy as opposed to the creation of a specific planning instrument, were designed to reduce the prospect of land use conflicts within the southern Perth Metropolitan Area region generally. This is widely seen to have helped facilitate industry development and the significant economic opportunities that have been realised. Current efforts are underway by the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage to identify a future planning framework for the Mandogalup area to the east.

Through the establishment of its 2050 Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions target, the Western Australian Government has also provided industry with the time to address this target over a set period. To support industries operating in the Western Trade Coast to meet this target, the Western Australian Government is investing in a range of complementary policies, including the development of Sectoral Emissions Reduction Strategies, direct investment in emissions reduction projects through the Clean Energy Future Fund, and an investment to overhaul the planning and approvals system for green energy projects through JTSI and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.