Some West Australian residents are not keen on having an unannounced explosives storage facility and sand mine in their backyards.

Their local councils are annoyed too, as it appears that public consultation has been avoided.

Two shires in the state’s south-west are concerned about a Government decision to relocate the explosives storage facility from Perth to a nearby state forest.

The State Government-owned but privately run facility is set to shift to state forest number 16, located about 40 kilometres north of Bunbury.

But the Shire of Harvey has backed a request from the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum to flatten 130 hectares of state forest to make room.

Land will also be cleared for a sand mine to be built on the same site.

Harvey Shire chief executive Michael Parker has told the ABC he expects the approval will rezone the state forest to ‘special use’.

Harvey Shire planning manager Simon Hall, told reporters “it was a state Cabinet decision, not us” to keep the proposal under wraps “since October 2013, while state Cabinet was making a decision on where to relocate the facility”.

Part of the forest is located in the neighbouring Shire of Waroona, which has been involved in negotiations as well, and like Harvey Shire has found itself unable to advise residents.

Many residents found out when the local newspaper landed on their doorstep.

It is understood that the council have urged the DMP to hold a full consultation with affected community-members, but the Department has given no details or confirmation of this.

The Mines Department gave some acknowledgment of both councils’ concerns, particularly over the proposed sand mine.

WA Forest Alliance spokesperson Jess Beckerling said there are some valid worries.

“Further reductions in the area of pine plantations can have negative socio-economic effects,” she said.

“There are community impacts as well that don't appear to have been adequately addressed - the transport of explosives, the release of gases and chemicals into the immediate environment and the atmosphere, and allowing for meaningful community input into this sort of planning.”