An ambitious $6 billion dollar development proposed for an area near Rous Head in Fremantle has attracted a mixed response from Western Australia's sustainability experts.
Curtin University professor of sustainability Peter Newman, who is a consultant to the group behind the North Port Quay proposal, said the development would use best practice energy management and renewable energy sources.
"Every stage of development will focus on sustainability, with particular emphasis on the areas of water conservation, renewable energy sources, marine life and seabed regeneration, waste management, building design and transport," Professor Newman said.
However, Murdoch University acting head of the school of sustainability, Dr Bradley Pettitt, said the project was incompatible with a working port and would face difficulties due to a lack of transport infrastructure.
Dr Pettitt, who is also a City of Fremantle councillor, said even if the completed development was carbon neutral, the process required to build it would not be sustainable.
"The energy required in terms of putting millions of tonnes of dirt into the sea cannot be considered sustainable," he said.
The North Port Quay development, which would occupy 345 hectares of reclaimed seabed, is backed by a consortium of Perth business owners and property developers, including Saracen Properties director Luke Saraceni, Port Bouvard and Cape Bouvard Investments.
