The City of Gosnells’ vision for sustainable economic growth in the Maddington-Kenwick area took a step forward with Planning Minister Donna Faragher approving an amendment to the Metropolitan Region Scheme on October 14.
The approval means rural zoned land in the Maddington-Kenwick strategic employment area has now been zoned industrial covering 350-hectares and paving the way for large-scale industrial development.
University of Western Australia Professor Hans Lambers said he submitted a form to the WA Planning Commission voicing concerns about the impact the MKSEA plan would have on the Alison Baird Reserve in Kenwick.
“Without a buffer zone but just a road there will be a major influx of weeds and diseases,” he said.
“This is a place like nowhere else on the planet with a mega diversity equal to that of a coral reef or a tropical rainforest.
“A treasure trove for ecologist and botanists.”
The City of Gosnells said it would develop the area around Alison Baird in order to protect it but Mr Lambers said the absence of buffer zones would impact the reserve.
“The buffer zones should be larger at the reserve,” he said.
“Instead of a road, there should be a significant buffer zone, so weeds with the nutrients in the seeds won’t blow in, and no rubbish is dumped along the fence.
“The delicate hydrology must be maintained, or lots of species will go locally extinct.”
Mr Lambers said Perth was a global biodiversity hotspot being one of the most biodiverse cities in the world.
“We should treasure that, “he said.
Planning Minister Donna Faragher said three amendments to the Metropolitan Region Scheme had been approved to rezone the land from rural to industrial.
“The amendments complete the industrial zoning of the Maddington-Kenwick Strategic Employment area, which is bound by Tonkin Highway, Bickley Road, Roe Highway and Welshpool Road East,” she said.
“This area is an important industrial centre as it is close to Perth Airport and to numerous major freight access routes, including to Fremantle and Kwinana.
“The City of Gosnells has a population of more than 112,000 people and this is expected to grow by nearly 70,000 by 2050.
“This industrial centre will ensure more jobs are created in the region to service this growing population.”
The City of Gosnells has undertaken various planning studies to determine the suitability of the area for industrial development over a number of years.
An indicative local structure plan has also been prepared based on feedback from landowners, technical studies and stakeholder engagement.
City of Gosnells mayor Olwen Searle said the Minister’s decision was a major milestone for the city, which began the planning process to modify the metropolitan region scheme in 2005.
