Westralia Airports Corporation has been given conditional approval to press ahead with the development of a regional distribution centre at Perth Airport.

The corporation is developing a warehousing and distribution park on its site and has announced plans for the development of a Coles Myer distribution centre employing 140 people at the site.

There had been community opposition to the plan on environmental grounds.

However, federal Transport Minister Warren Truss said yesterday WAC had made commitments to manage the effects of the development. Mr Truss said approval for the development was subject to a number of conditions, a key aspect being the involvement of the airports environment officer and the Transport Department in any stage of the development where an environmental issue arose.

"I expect the development of the site to be balanced with the environmental features of the airport site in accordance with the master plan," he said.

Mr Truss said the site would have access to two major road and rail networks in metropolitan Perth.