A new report has found labour shortages, natural resource supply, and environmental issues remain key concerns for industries within the Kwinana Industrial Area.
A new report has found labour shortages, natural resource supply, and environmental issues remain key concerns for industries within the Kwinana Industrial Area.
The ‘Integrated Assessment Environmental, Social and Economic Impact’ report, commissioned by the Kwinana Industries Council, quantifies the direct and indirect economic and social impact of Kwinana industries.
The report comprises questionnaire responses from 23 KIA industries, as well as data from state and local government agencies.
The KIA is the state’s largest industrial area and is a major source of revenue for the Western Australian and national economies, with direct sales almost doubling to $8.51 billion from 1999-00 to 2004-05.
The area employs 4,804 people directly, up by about 1,000 from the previous report, with 64 per cent of employees living locally.
Nearly all industries said they were struggling to engage and retain staff, and the shortage was affecting their business or restricting their growth.
Among environmental issues, water supply remains a major consideration for many industries, with the KIA consuming an estimated 32.7 gigalitres of water each year, a number expected to rise to 69.6GL per year by 2021.
Meeting future water demand will require a continuation of the innovative planning and the water efficiency and exchange synergies, with a heavy reliance on recycled water, the report says.
Some industries also suggested that water should be priced more appropriately to encourage more industries to recycle the water they use. Currently, treated water from the Kwinana Water Reclamation Plant is sold as high quality water at a premium price of $1 per kilolitre, compared with scheme water or extracted groundwater at 10.5 cents per kilolitre.
The report said that, while there had been significant improvements in environmental performance during the past 20 years, issues such as air and marine water quality were still affecting the neighbouring community.
The report also recognised that the close physical proximity and interaction between Kwinana industries helped provide environmental benefits, such as trading by-products for re-use and cooperative energy efficiency, and water recycling initiatives.
Among the report’s recommendations was the formulation of an integrated KIC sustainability framework to unite Kwinana industries in their progression towards more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable operations.
It was also suggested the KIC look at employing a designated KIC Sustainable Development Officer to oversee the implementation of sustainability initiatives within KIC member industries.
KIC director Chris Oughton said this year was the first time the five-yearly report had included social and environmental outcomes, in addition to economic performance.
Mr Oughton said the role of the KIC had expanded from a technically focused group involved in policy and lobbying to incorporate relationship building with the public sector and general community stakeholders.
He said the key issue emerging among KIA members was securing supply of essential resources, including water, natural gas and human resources.
“We carry out a lot of work currently on areas of sustainability in the KIA,” he said.
