Concerns over industrial area use

Residents at the public meeting in Rosewood which raised concerns about the industrial estate proposed for Ebenezer.

INFRASTRUCTURE and Planning Minister Sterling Hinchliffe says Ipswich people concerned about hard-to-locate industries have nothing to worry about.

Obviously his message wasn’t communicated to the hundreds who gathered in Rosewood on Saturday.

Their main concern is an 800-hectare area south of the Ebenezer Regional Industrial Area in the Mt Forbes/ Mutdapilly area.

Last month, the State Government said it was investigating its suitability for difficult-to-locate, large-footprint and high-impact industry.

At the time, Member for Lockyer Ian Rickuss said that meant noisy, smelly industries which could have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Ipswich Koala Protection Society (IKPS) secretary Helen Darbellay said the society was extremely concerned about the industrial estate and the impact it would have on koalas.

Resident Peter Adnams said hard-to-locate and high-impact meant manufacture of hazardous and toxic substances

Mr Hinchliffe replied to those claims saying that “law and policy in Queensland does not allow the establishment of industry that would cause significant harm to the environment and animals”.

“Both the Environmental Protection Act, the Planning Act and related policies serve to prevent the approval of activities on land that may do so,” he said.

“Examples of hard-to-locate industry in the draft State Planning Policy include large transport and logistic operations, alcoholic beverage production, meat processing, glass manufacturing and timber and plastic manufacturing.

However, Mr Hinchliffe admitted that when it came to getting that message across, he could have done better.

“It would have been better if that first letter had outlined the timeframe for this process,” he said. “I regret the uncertainty that has been created. Perhaps there’s a lesson in this for the State Government.”

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said he met with Mr Hinchliffe late last month and told him about residents’ concerns.

“I said to Sterling: ‘Mate, no-one knows about it’,” Cr Pisasale said. “He was ropeable. He’s working on that. He said there’s no noxious industries going there. But he agrees there hasn’t been enough community consultation on the thing.”