❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding the delayed establishment of five former pastoral leases as conservation reserves, purchased over a decade ago, and the impact of mining/exploration activities on these properties. The Minister's response outlines purchase details, proposed reserve types, reasons for delays, ongoing management, and commitment to formal establishment.
AnsweredQoN 3269Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to five former pastoral leases in the Mid-West region of the State, Locharda, Karara, Thundelarra, Burnerbinmah and Kadji Kadji, and I ask: (a) when were the Locharda, Karara, Thundelarra, Burnerbinmah and Kadji Kadji pastoral leases purchased to become part of Western Australia's conservation reserve system; (b) who purchased them and how much was paid for each property; (c) what is their combined area; (d) for each ex-lease, what specific type and category of conservation reserve was proposed at the time, or subsequently, by the purchasing agency; (e) given they were purchased more than a decade ago to become part of the public conservation estate, have any of the properties been formally established as conservation reserve: (i) if yes to (e), which one(s) and what type or category of reserve are they; and (ii) if any of the properties have not become conservation reserve as intended, why has that purpose not been achieved in each case; (f) since the leases were purchased, have any mining or exploration projects been approved on any of them: (i) if yes to (f), on which of the ex-leases are the mining or exploration projects located, which company or companies is/are the proponent(s), and what is/are the status of the project(s); (g) are there other mining or exploration proposals currently under assessment on any of the ex-leases: (i) if yes to (g), for each proposal, on which of the ex-leases are they located, which company or companies is/are the proponent(s), and what is/are the status of the assessment(s); (h) given that public funds were used to acquire these leases so that they could be converted to the public conservation reserve, does the Minister consider it is appropriate that, rather than become conservation reserve, they are instead being used as mine sites or proposed to become mine sites; (i) are any of the ex-leases subject to ongoing monitoring and management to ensure their conservation values are not further diminished by threats such as feral animals and weeds: (i) if yes to (i), for each lease, what form of monitoring and management is occurring, who is undertaking it, at what annual cost, and to whom; (j) is the Minister actively progressing the formal establishment of these areas as conservation reserve and, if so, in what way or ways; (k) when will the ex-leases be formally established as conservation reserves; and (l) what of their original conservation value will be left when they are established?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 September 2015
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
84 days
(a) Lochada - May 2000.
Karara - January 2002.
Thundelarra - June 2007.
Burnerbinmah - October 1995.
Kadji Kadji - September 2003.
(b) Lochada - two-thirds Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $300,000.
Karara - two-thirds Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $460,000.
Thundelarra - one-half Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-half Department of Environment and Conservation; $803,000.
Burnerbinmah - two-thirds Sandalwood Conservation and Regeneration Project (SCARP), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $251,787.
Kadji Kadji - one-half Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-half Department of Conservation and Land Management; $320,000.
(c) 487,954.1 hectares.
(d) Lochada - unclassified conservation park.
Karara - unclassified conservation park and class 'A' nature reserve.
Thundelarra - unclassified conservation park.
Burnerbinmah - class 'A' conservation park.
Kadji Kadji - unclassified conservation park and timber reserve.
(e) No, except a portion of Kadji Kadji.
(i) A portion of Kadji Kadji has reverted to its previous tenure as timber reserve.
(ii) All properties require support for reserve creation by the Department of Mines and Petroleum and resolution of native title negotiations.
Notwithstanding formal reservation as conservation estate, the removal of grazing from these areas has assisted in natural regenerative processes taking place to restore the conservation and biodiversity values of those areas.
(f)-(g) These questions should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(h) The Minister for Environment is committed to the reservation of the former pastoral leases, which includes liaison with the Department of Mines and Petroleum to obtain necessary government approvals and reach agreeable outcomes.
(i) Yes.
(i) The Department of Parks and Wildlife undertakes feral animal control, maintenance of priority fire access tracks and firebreaks and remote sensing vegetation surveying. Western Australian Rangelands Monitoring System sites are contained on each ex-pastoral lease, except for Burnerbinmah.
Specific works undertaken by the Department of Parks and Wildlife include:
Lochada - boundary fencing, implementation of Interim Management Guidelines.
Karara - Funding under the
Parks for People
initiative for camping opportunities and visitor facility improvements, boundary fencing, access maintenance, weed control, ongoing appointment of a caretaker, renewable energy system to homestead, scientific surveys for ground dwelling invertebrates, bird assemblages, small mammal and reptile assemblages, flora surveying.
Thundelarra - ongoing appointment of a caretaker, removal of shearing sheds, renewable energy system upgrade, repairs to water system and homestead.
Burnerbinmah - fence line clearing, goat proof boundary fencing, goat surveying, dam closure, ongoing appointment of a caretaker, homestead maintenance, shearing quarters assessment for works, road grading, flora surveying.
Kadji Kadji - boundary fencing, salvage and removal of station infrastructure including homestead and other buildings.
All land parcels are managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, with expenditure of $545,518 for the 2014-15 financial year comprising Department of Parks and Wildlife recurrent budget of $365,764 and external funding of $179,754.
(j) Yes. The Department of Parks and Wildlife is liaising with the Department of Mines and Petroleum to obtain relevant government approvals. Reserve creation is also dependent on native title negotiations, which have been delayed by native title uncertainties, including overlapping native title claims over the area and legal uncertainty over the status of native title in the recent Federal Court determination over the Badimia claim area.
(k) The establishment of conservation reserves will be progressed pending successful completion of native title negotiations.
(l) Notwithstanding formal reservation as conservation estate, the above management activities, in particular the control of declared flora and fauna species, allows for natural regeneration of vegetation which has and will continue to provide a broad scale improvement to the conservation values.
Karara - January 2002.
Thundelarra - June 2007.
Burnerbinmah - October 1995.
Kadji Kadji - September 2003.
(b) Lochada - two-thirds Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $300,000.
Karara - two-thirds Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $460,000.
Thundelarra - one-half Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-half Department of Environment and Conservation; $803,000.
Burnerbinmah - two-thirds Sandalwood Conservation and Regeneration Project (SCARP), one-third Department of Conservation and Land Management; $251,787.
Kadji Kadji - one-half Natural Heritage Trust/National Reserve System (Australian Government), one-half Department of Conservation and Land Management; $320,000.
(c) 487,954.1 hectares.
(d) Lochada - unclassified conservation park.
Karara - unclassified conservation park and class 'A' nature reserve.
Thundelarra - unclassified conservation park.
Burnerbinmah - class 'A' conservation park.
Kadji Kadji - unclassified conservation park and timber reserve.
(e) No, except a portion of Kadji Kadji.
(i) A portion of Kadji Kadji has reverted to its previous tenure as timber reserve.
(ii) All properties require support for reserve creation by the Department of Mines and Petroleum and resolution of native title negotiations.
Notwithstanding formal reservation as conservation estate, the removal of grazing from these areas has assisted in natural regenerative processes taking place to restore the conservation and biodiversity values of those areas.
(f)-(g) These questions should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(h) The Minister for Environment is committed to the reservation of the former pastoral leases, which includes liaison with the Department of Mines and Petroleum to obtain necessary government approvals and reach agreeable outcomes.
(i) Yes.
(i) The Department of Parks and Wildlife undertakes feral animal control, maintenance of priority fire access tracks and firebreaks and remote sensing vegetation surveying. Western Australian Rangelands Monitoring System sites are contained on each ex-pastoral lease, except for Burnerbinmah.
Specific works undertaken by the Department of Parks and Wildlife include:
Lochada - boundary fencing, implementation of Interim Management Guidelines.
Karara - Funding under the
Parks for People
initiative for camping opportunities and visitor facility improvements, boundary fencing, access maintenance, weed control, ongoing appointment of a caretaker, renewable energy system to homestead, scientific surveys for ground dwelling invertebrates, bird assemblages, small mammal and reptile assemblages, flora surveying.
Thundelarra - ongoing appointment of a caretaker, removal of shearing sheds, renewable energy system upgrade, repairs to water system and homestead.
Burnerbinmah - fence line clearing, goat proof boundary fencing, goat surveying, dam closure, ongoing appointment of a caretaker, homestead maintenance, shearing quarters assessment for works, road grading, flora surveying.
Kadji Kadji - boundary fencing, salvage and removal of station infrastructure including homestead and other buildings.
All land parcels are managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, with expenditure of $545,518 for the 2014-15 financial year comprising Department of Parks and Wildlife recurrent budget of $365,764 and external funding of $179,754.
(j) Yes. The Department of Parks and Wildlife is liaising with the Department of Mines and Petroleum to obtain relevant government approvals. Reserve creation is also dependent on native title negotiations, which have been delayed by native title uncertainties, including overlapping native title claims over the area and legal uncertainty over the status of native title in the recent Federal Court determination over the Badimia claim area.
(k) The establishment of conservation reserves will be progressed pending successful completion of native title negotiations.
(l) Notwithstanding formal reservation as conservation estate, the above management activities, in particular the control of declared flora and fauna species, allows for natural regeneration of vegetation which has and will continue to provide a broad scale improvement to the conservation values.
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