State Planning Policy 2.3 - Jandakot Groundwater Protection.

This policy aims to protect the Jandakot Groundwater Protection area from development and land uses that may have a detrimental impact on the water resource. Groundwater is a highly valued resource of Western Australia. The Jandakot Groundwater Protection area provides a significant volume of high quality drinking water. Other sources of water, such as desalinization and recycled water are required to supplement (but not replace) this source of drinking water. Land use planning is guided by priority areas and the principles of risk avoidance, risk minimisation and risk management. The priority areas include: Priority 1 (P1) areas (prevent risks), Priority 2 (P2) areas (minimise risks) and Priority 3 (P3) areas (manage risks). This policy reflects a presumption against development or land uses that are inconsistent with the priority areas.
The objectives of this policy are: ensure that all development and changes to land use within the policy area are compatible with maximizing the long-term protection and management of groundwater, in particular for public drinking water supply; To protect groundwater quality and quantity in the policy area in order to maintain the ecological integrity of important wetlands that are hydraulically connected to that groundwater, including wetlands outside the policy area; To prevent, minimise, and manage in defined locations development and land uses that may result in contamination of groundwater; and To maintain or increase natural vegetation cover over the policy area. Any land use that is approved in the policy area is to maximise protection against water quality contamination risks.
This policy applies to development and changes in land use proposed in the policy area in Figure 1, which extends across the following local government areas: Cities of Armadale; Canning; Cockburn; Gosnells; Kwinana; Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale. Land use intensification is associated with an increased risk of drinking water contamination. In recognition of this, groundwater protection is based on the following principles: application of the precautionary principle through a presumption against development or land uses that pose a threat to the groundwater resource; Groundwater quality and quantity are inexorably linked and should not be managed in isolation; Groundwater for public water supply, environmental requirements, industry, agriculture, domestic use, recreation and aesthetics should be protected and promoted; Land use planning integrated with environmental, water, and health management processes is an appropriate mechanism for groundwater protection; Polluter pays - those who generate pollution and waste should bear the cost of containment, avoidance or abatement, etc.