Toxic air is exposing Port Adelaide residents to major health risks so let’s build more houses say the Newport Quays development.
The Environmental Protection Authority says this needs to be prevented. A report obtained by The Advertiser newspaper found the precinct also faced risks from explosion or fire due to large-scale storage of ammonium nitrate at fertiliser warehouses nearby. This report was handed to the state Development Assessment Commission on July 15 and has remained hidden despite requests to the State Government for its release. It was obtained under Freedom of Information laws.
Quoting from the Environment Protection Authority:
- Residents of the proposed Dock One expansion face “high potential” of exposure to “unacceptably high levels” of dangerous microparticles known to trigger respiratory disease and lung cancer.
- The combined impacts from industries including the Adelaide Brighton Cement factory, Incitec Pivot chemical warehousing and nearby fuel storage facilities contribute to the risk.
- Housing development should be banned near the sites of existing industry.
- Vulnerable people including the young and elderly are at highest risk of illnesses, including asthma and other respiratory problems.
- Corrosive airborne particles including potassium, calcium and sodium oxides threaten to damage windows and homes.”
Duh! How hard is this to understand?
The proposed Dock One development has planned 275 two and three-storey townhouses PLUS a three-storey apartment building where the old Dock 1 warehouses used to be and close the the historic Port Adelaide lighthouse. Hundreds of residents as well as the LeFevre Peninsula Primary School are already located in this polluted area. This sounds like developer greed to me.
And a lot of these existing houses have been built over the last 10-15 years when the dangers were already clearly known. In fact I make a submission about this then but was ignored.
This is an intensive industrial area on a working port with uses such as cement manufacturing, chemical storage and warehousing, chemical works and fuel storage, so why build high density housing?
There are limits to the improvements industry can make to reduce their emissions given that some emissions are inherent from their operation. There need to be separation distances recommended between housing and industry.
The Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson said the peninsula had one of the highest rates of cancer and illness in the nation, but “It’s actually a combination of all the industries down there, so just getting one to address it won’t solve the problem,” he said.
Why even think of putting new housing development in polluted industrial areas? Just where is industry supposed to move? And what on earth would this cost? These industries are currently located in the Port where they have access to shipping and their own wharf facilities in some cases, the rail to their premises and major roads.
I think back to when my brother bought a small factory zoned industrial in Brompton SA, then the suburb was rezoned residential and huge redevelopment commenced. He had to move at his own great expenses and inconvenience or else close down. At least that was possible because it was small industry that did not need rail and shipping access.
Doesn’t it occur to some people that we actually do need some industry in this country? It really is helpful in producing wealth and employing people. Plus just think of the cost of importing all our fertiliser and concrete!
Plus the thing that everyone has forgotten is that the Port River is very high in nutrients as the major stormwater “drain” for Adelaide plus where they discharge the Port Adelaide sewage effluent. There is always a high concentration of nuisance algae in the river using the nutrients in the water. At present it is a larger benthic alga called Caulerpa that is using all the nutrients. This is harmful to fisheries but ok for humans but if this were removed which many regulators would like to do, the probability is that the river would get back its large blooms of toxic red tides because the cyst or “seeds” for this are there in their millions in the sediments. Previously Dock 1 had the highest dinoflagelate toxin level found anywhere in the world. Not a great place to bring up kids who want to fish outside their houses or mess about in boats etc.
Some places suit housing and others don’t.
It is the same story with the airport which was built in what was then empty swampy land. Now the residents, who all moved there after the airport did, constantly complain. They chose to live there.
Jean Cannon is a former environmental biologist who now helps small to medium businesses become truly sustainable with simple and effective management systems. She has now taken her business online and world wide as part of reducing her own carbon footprint. Jean is both a highly qualified scientist and a business person and she is a true leader in sustainable business and she has spent 10 years as a member of State Government Planning committees.
Tags: urban planning