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On the Social Sustainability of Development in Western Australia: A Community Perspective

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Resource Curse or Cure ?

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

Abstract

This chapter addresses resource development in Western Australia from a social sustainability perspective. It will be shown, based on the experiences of members of a small community, that the benefits assumed to result from economic development in the name of progress and regional sustainability can fail to result in wealth and health for local people. The problems identified here serve as prompts for critical reflection on the purpose of development, and the requisite balancing of community and industry interests. An engagement with the social sustainability agenda in Western Australia is called for in light of the state’s very rapid development path and the growing potential for conflict with its intended beneficiaries.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Data were collected from interviews, community workshops, and meetings with the local community, private consultants and researchers as well as representatives from industry and government departments. Participant data shown in this chapter were taken from Brueckner and Ross (2010) and Brueckner and Mamun (2010).

  2. 2.

    In 2002, after denying community impacts for many years, Alcoa accepted full responsibility for the complete and effective resolution of environmental issues at its Wagerup refinery and offered an unreserved apology (Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs 2004). However, these steps towards reconciliation were followed immediately by plans to expand the refinery based on claims that past issues had successfully been addressed (Alcoa 2002).

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Acknowledgments

Edith Cowan University and Curtin University are gratefully acknowledged for partially funding the research on which this chapter is based.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    Martin Brueckner

Authors
  1. Martin Brueckner
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Correspondence to Martin Brueckner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Sustainability, Murdoch University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Martin Brueckner

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Angela Durey

  3. John Curtin Inst. of Public Policy, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Robyn Mayes

  4. Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Christof Pforr

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Brueckner, M. (2014). On the Social Sustainability of Development in Western Australia: A Community Perspective. In: Brueckner, M., Durey, A., Mayes, R., Pforr, C. (eds) Resource Curse or Cure ?. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53873-5_16

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