Jarrahdale’s Future Update on the Water Extraction Proposal A211002 Lots 13 and 14 Nettleton
Brief Description of the Proposal
This is a proposal by Karrakup Spring Water Pty Ltd (a subsidiary of BlackMount Investments which in turn is a subsidiary of Black Mount Holdings) to buy Lots 13 and 14 Nettleton Road,Karrakup WA 6122,(currently part of Cooralong Orchard). They intend to use the orchard groundwater pumps to extract 50 million litres a year to sell as bottled drinking water. The proposal is to take this water by continuous pumping 24 hours a day and to truck it out24 hours a day in large B Double tankers to a processing plant using Nettleton Road and Jarrahdale Road to exit the area. They have not disclosed where this water from Cooralong Orchard will be sold, but in their operations in the eastern states it is either bottled and sold by them as Black Mount Spring Water, or sold to other companies to bottle and rebrand, or it is pumped into big bladders inside shipping containers and shipped to either Asia or the Middle East for bottling and sale there.
Role of the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale ‘The Shire’
Lots 13 and 14 Nettleton Road are in the Karri Groundwater Management Area, as is most of Jarrahdale and Karrakup. It is not a proclaimed area and therefore does not come under the licensing provisions of the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act, administered by the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (“DWER”).
This means that it is the Shire that will make the decision on this proposal. The Shire is only obliged to forward the application to DWER for their comments and advice, but DWER has no say in the decision about the application (as opposed to other water extraction areas like the Jandakot Drinking Water Mound). The Shire must consult other interested parties before making a decision.
Where is this Process at Currently
The Shire put this proposal out for comment last year and we are informed that they received a large number of responses from the community. These comments were all sent to the proponent for their comments,and they have responded by answering all the objections. Their hydrogeologist also sent back a response. We do not know what these responses said.It does not appear that the proponent was at all deterred by any opposition to the proposal.
The Shire also sought the advice of the Department of Water and that has now been provided.We do not know what that said.
Officers in the Shire Planning Department are now reviewing all the relevant legislation and legislative instruments as they prepare a report for Council. They are hoping to have the Report ready for the Ordinary Council Meeting on Monday 21 February 2022. If it is ready the Report will be attached to the online Agenda for that meeting. There is no indication whether they will recommend or not recommend this project, or just leave it up to Council to decide.
Ratepayers and residents who feel strongly about this issue should be prepared to attend the Council meeting. If you wish to speak at the meeting you need to apply beforehand to do so.
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