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Politicians on all sides have signalled they will scupper any plan to stop West End development in light of a report that recommends banning new housing and removing permanent residents from the dust-affected zone.

As the dust settled on the much-hyped Spoilbank Marina announcement last week, Town councillors went to vote on the future of town planning in Port Hedland’s historic West End precinct.

Instead of reaching a decision, however, the council opted to bring the item back to another meeting to allow consultation on the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce recommendations.

Town of Port Hedland Acting Mayor Camilo Blanco said it was hypocritical to suggest stifling residential development at the West End while pushing ahead with the Spoilbank Marina.

“We have objected to it and we are going to try and force the authors of that report to bring it back to council and the community so everybody has an opportunity to have their input,” he said.

“It’s not very often we get all sides of politics supporting the community on a certain aspect, especially when you have industry that is so powerful in the region (involved).”

Mr Blanco said the door was open for industry and the community to discuss their views on the best way forward.

In the agenda item, Town officers criticised the departments of health and planning for a lack of clarity around whether or not they would seek to engage with the Town on planning policy.

They also fired a salvo at the Port Hedland Health Risk Assessment for failing to light a way forward, instead calling for population growth to be curtailed.

Mr Blanco’s statement comes in spite of the taskforce recommending a special control area west of Taplin Street, and transitioning the area west of Acton Street to short-term accommodation only.

The report’s recommendations seem doomed already, with politicians on all sides quick to slam proposals to “empty out” the West End.

WA Premier Colin Barnett said improved technology and air- quality control guidelines would allow further residential and commercial development in the West End.

Mr Barnett said the Spoilbank development was “absolutely” secure and would proceed.

“We would only have residential development going ahead if it is safe, and it is safe,” he said.

“I think there is a dual responsibility in terms of good planning and building standards to be put in place to minimise any health risks, and there’s also that responsibility in this case to be shared by BHP Billiton to do what it can to reduce emissions.”

Mr Barnett pointed to the decommissioning of the crushing plant as an example where BHP was making improvements.

Labor Member for Mining and Pastoral Stephen Dawson said it was ludicrous to suggest moving people out of the West End.

He said the taskforce’s make-up of industry and government representatives, with little community input, had left residents in the dark.

“People can’t be hiding information from local residents — we need to know what is going on and what the implications are.

“It puts lots of doubt into the minds of business and residents alike.”

Mr Dawson said the Spoilbank development would hopefully put more pressure on the port to clean up its act.

WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls said the taskforce would be in for a fight if they made a push to empty the West End.

“Quarantining the West End from growth will be damaging to the small business sector, damaging to the Town of Port Hedland — port users need to control the dust in the port boundaries,” he said.

“The community was here long before iron ore came along.

“If there’s a problem with dust, it needs to be solved by the creators of the dust and the last time I looked, that wasn’t the residents of Port Hedland.”

A BHP Billiton spokeswoman said the company, which is at the centre of the dust controversy, supported the health risk assessment recommendations.