Citizens contesting science: a case study of public participation in the management of a contaminated site in Western Australia

Abstract

This thesis addresses the problem of involving citizens in regulatory debates rich in the discourse of science. Through a detailed case study of the ANI-Bradken site redevelopment project, the public participatory practices within Western Australian environmental regulatory processes are scrutinised. From the perspective of a community group (the South Fremantle/Hamilton Hill Residents’ Association Inc.) contesting the redevelopment, the thesis examines the barriers to effective public participation using a theoretical framework developed within the sociology of scientific knowledge.