Important Reminder
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 14 October 2015 09:30
Department of Environment and Regulation (DER)
“Separation Distances” (Buffer Zones) Submission Opportunity!
The DER have published and released a draft document which gives the public the opportunity to comment on “Separation Distances” From Industries such as Mining, Chemical plants etc and the acceptable distance from your Residence.
It is important to note that currently, if your house and outbuildings are at the rear of your block and are say 300 meters from your boundary and a proposed neighbouring industrial operation across the road is required to have a Separation Distance (buffer) of 1000 meters from the nearest residential property, then the required set back from your boundary is only 700 meters.
What this has done is erode your rights by enabling the proponent to use the 300 meters that you are away from your boundary as “THEIR” buffer zone.
Why should you care?
What if at some point in the future you decided that you wanted to build another dwelling for a B&B, granny flat, or maybe even split your block into two lots, but because 300 meters of your property has now been labeled part of the industry buffer zone, the 300 meters of YOUR property is now sterile and can no longer be used.
In the case of bauxite mining or refining there are no separation distances, because the buffers are done on a case by case basis, depending on topography, location of crushes, conveyors, red mud lakes etc, etc.
Many people are of the opinion that separation distances from bauxite mining to the boundary of a neighbouring property (Not your house and outbuilding) should be a minimum of 5km and in the case of a refinery it should be a minimum of 10 km.
Submission:
Your submission can be in the form of a letter and does not need to be complicated, but it is extremely important to have your say.
The cut off date is the 19th of October 2015.
It is paramount that anyone who intends to lodge a submission, also insist that any separation distance MUST start at your boundary and not from your home, pool or any outbuildings, as this is your land and does not belong to the proponent to be used as their buffer zone.
A full copy of the DRAFT separation distances document can be found by clicking on the link below.
http://www.der.wa.gov.au
AHMAG
