Residents from a small West Australian town have marched down a busy road in protest against a proposed $73 million workers' camp, which they say they will fight "all the way".
US chemical giant Albemarle has submitted plans to build the 500-person facility in the semi-rural town of Binningup, two hours south of Perth.
The company said the workers' camp would be essential to house the additional workforce needed for a major expansion of its nearby lithium refinery.
If approved by the state government's Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) later this month, the village would feature 128 accommodation villas, a commercial kitchen, recreation centre and a 350-bay car park.
But despite acknowledging the struggles businesses face to house their workers, Binningup Town Association spokesperson Ross Sharp said the plans did not align with community expectations.
"At the end of the day, the community is frustrated with this process, and frustrated by how quickly it was put to them," he said.
"We're going all the way, we're well-resourced. It does mean a hell of a lot to the community, they don't want it."
In a statement, an Albemarle spokesperson said the company would continue to work with the community to find an acceptable solution.
"Albemarle continues to inform, invite and respond to feedback from Binningup residents via a range of methods," the spokesperson said.
"The village has been designed to sit within the landscape and be screened from view, with minimum impacts on the community and the environment."
'Binningup says no'
The Shire of Harvey, which is the responsible local government, has already staunchly opposed the proposal due to it being "contrary to the principles of orderly and proper planning".
Key criticisms centre around the project's proposed on-site sewage system, which posed a threat to nearby wetlands and agricultural operations.
The amount of sewage and wastewater generated would require two trucks a day to take the effluent to a nearby treatment plant.
Albemarle also plans to zone the proposal as 'residential', something the Shire of Harvey said was inconsistent with their planning scheme.
Mr Sharp said the lack of community connection from the workers was also a major concern.
"I've been disappointed that Albemarle have said they don't want their workers to interact with the community. I just don't get that," he said.
"A smarter opportunity here would be to divide the the number of people up into three and put it on residential zoned land and join into the communities.
"Binningup says no."
The application is set to be assessed by the JDAP on October 27.
