The City is actively involved in a number of programs to control air pollution within the district, so that environmental standards are maintained and can be enhanced.
According to the Department of Water and Environment Regulation, air pollution occurs when the air contains substances that can affect or even injure humans and animals, or damage plants or materials. These substances can be in the form of tiny particles, liquids or gas.
Some substances come from natural sources, while others are caused by human activities such as cars, fires, industry, agriculture and business.
How is air pollution regulated?
Air pollution is regulated under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
How is air pollution monitored?
In Cockburn, air quality and pollution is monitored by a range of agencies.City of Cockburn officers are responsible for:
- Licencing and inspecting offensive trades within the City
- Assessing development applications that have the potential to cause pollution
- Inspecting and surveying premises Causing or likely to cause pollution e.g. industrial premises
- Investigating complaints relating to air pollution, such as smoke, dust and odours
- Cockburn Cement Limited operates a Continuous Emission Monitoring System as part of their operating license
- The Department of Water and Environment Regulation undertakes air quality monitoring when required, in relation to Cockburn Cement.
With operations dating back to 1955, Cockburn Cement Limited (CCL) is a manufacturer of cement and lime for the mining, agriculture and construction industries.
The Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER), through a license under the Environmental Protection Act, regulate the emissions from CCL. The City of Cockburn has no regulatory authority regarding the operations of CCL.
The City of Cockburn continues to support its community regarding the ongoing odour issue from CCL. It strongly advocates for DWER to adopt a more proactive and robust approach to the regulation of CCL and takes the following position:
- We require the installation of odour removal measures to occur without delay – this is happening and is being monitored in line with CCL’s licensing requirements.
- We do not support measures that are trials or incremental improvements.
- We do not support measures based on the least cost option.
- Infrastructure must be permanent and proven best practice to remove odour.
Update 9 March 2023
Cockburn Cement has been found guilty of six counts of breaching the Environmental Protection Act 1986 for ongoing and unreasonable odour from its premises between 22 January 2019 and 29 April 2019. DWER is working with CCL to identify opportunities to further mitigate odorous emissions from their operations including granting approval for CCL to trial an engineering solution to reduce odours. For the DWER media release visit their
website.
For further information from Cockburn Cement, including their environmental improvement and community initiatives visit their community website.
Find out more about Cockburn Cement's proposed redevelopment of up to 35 hectares of its site in Munster for light and general for industrial purposes.
Air pollution at the Woodman Point Waste Water Treatment plant is regulated by the Department of Environment Regulation through a license under the Environmental Protection Act.
Much of the City of Cockburn is located within the Kwinana Air Quality Buffer zone. Kwinana industries estimate and measure emissions levels for the National Pollution Inventory each year. These levels are documented and published.
If you have a complaint or issue in relation to air pollution submit it online via Make a Complaint/Report and Issue.
Please contact the City’s Health Services team for more information on air pollution regulations and monitoring on 08 9411 3444 or at [email protected].