❓ The Minister for Environment provides an update on the rangelands restoration project at Lorna Glen, highlighting its scale, management, species reintroduction, and industry partnership through Chevron's offset program.
AnsweredQoN 386Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RANGELANDS
RESTORATION — LORNA GLEN STATION
386. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the
groundbreaking rangelands restoration project being conducted at Lorna Glen in
the state's goldfields?
RESTORATION — LORNA GLEN STATION
386. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the
groundbreaking rangelands restoration project being conducted at Lorna Glen in
the state's goldfields?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie
for the question. For members who may not be familiar with where Lorna Glen is—indeed,
I was not at first—Lorna Glen station is at the geographical centre of
Western Australia. Lorna Glen and its neighbouring station, Earaheedy, are two
former pastoral leases purchased by the state government in 1999 and 2000. They
form a 600 000-hectare estate that is one of the largest and most extensive
science-based adaptive management wildlife reconstruction projects in the
world. It is the biggest in Australia. It is jointly managed by the Department
of Parks and Wildlife and the local traditional owners through Martu rangers at
Wiluna.
At Lorna Glen we are introducing 11 mostly rare and
endangered mammals. Indeed, some of the mammals that have recently been
reintroduced at Lorna Glen had become extinct on the mainland. They have been
rescued from the Pilbara islands, and I will go into that a little more. We are
reintroducing onto the Western Australian mainland mammals that have not been
here possibly for decades, if not longer. The cornerstone of this project is 1 100
hectares within the Lorna Glen estate. This is a staging area. In the centre of
this 600 000-hectare estate is an area of 1 100 hectares that is fenced off
with a predator-proof fence to keep out feral cats and foxes, creating what I
think of as an inland island that is a staging area for these populations. The
area is large enough that they can sustain their own stable population, and
from within the area we can repopulate the rangeland areas. There are a few of
these areas dotted across the state, but this particular one is one of our
largest. Mammals such as malas, golden bandicoots, boodies, brush-tailed
possums and bilbies have already been released into the wider estates, and the
populations within these fenced areas are absolutely booming. I had the
privilege of being there a couple of weeks ago and I almost could not move for
all the boodies!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : This project is being done in partnership with not only the
traditional owners, the Martu people, but also industry. This project has been
supported through a $10 million offset program that has been managed by the
Department of Parks and Wildlife. This offset program has been funded by
Chevron as part of its Gorgon environmental approvals. This is a fantastic
opportunity in which industry and resource development in the state is funding
significant environmental outcomes.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
This is actually quite serious, member for Albany.
With the Gorgon island approvals for
an area of 300 hectares or so, there was an immediate offset and animals were
translocated from there to a 1 100-hectare enclosure at Lorna Glen from which
the entire rangelands area can be repopulated. We are also seeing the
re-establishment of mammal and bird populations on the Montebello Islands.
Hopefully, this offset program will continue to repopulate other Pilbara
islands. We are taking ground again. That is a significant part of this
project. We are not losing ground in the fight for endangered mammals; we are
starting to take ground. These islands and enclosures give us staging areas
from which we can start to take more ground.
I would like to place on record my thanks to all the very
committed staff from the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Martu rangers
for what they are doing on this project. We have a range of traditional owner
ranger groups from across the state in the Department of Parks and Wildlife. We
are seeing fantastic outcomes in partnership.
for the question. For members who may not be familiar with where Lorna Glen is—indeed,
I was not at first—Lorna Glen station is at the geographical centre of
Western Australia. Lorna Glen and its neighbouring station, Earaheedy, are two
former pastoral leases purchased by the state government in 1999 and 2000. They
form a 600 000-hectare estate that is one of the largest and most extensive
science-based adaptive management wildlife reconstruction projects in the
world. It is the biggest in Australia. It is jointly managed by the Department
of Parks and Wildlife and the local traditional owners through Martu rangers at
Wiluna.
At Lorna Glen we are introducing 11 mostly rare and
endangered mammals. Indeed, some of the mammals that have recently been
reintroduced at Lorna Glen had become extinct on the mainland. They have been
rescued from the Pilbara islands, and I will go into that a little more. We are
reintroducing onto the Western Australian mainland mammals that have not been
here possibly for decades, if not longer. The cornerstone of this project is 1 100
hectares within the Lorna Glen estate. This is a staging area. In the centre of
this 600 000-hectare estate is an area of 1 100 hectares that is fenced off
with a predator-proof fence to keep out feral cats and foxes, creating what I
think of as an inland island that is a staging area for these populations. The
area is large enough that they can sustain their own stable population, and
from within the area we can repopulate the rangeland areas. There are a few of
these areas dotted across the state, but this particular one is one of our
largest. Mammals such as malas, golden bandicoots, boodies, brush-tailed
possums and bilbies have already been released into the wider estates, and the
populations within these fenced areas are absolutely booming. I had the
privilege of being there a couple of weeks ago and I almost could not move for
all the boodies!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : This project is being done in partnership with not only the
traditional owners, the Martu people, but also industry. This project has been
supported through a $10 million offset program that has been managed by the
Department of Parks and Wildlife. This offset program has been funded by
Chevron as part of its Gorgon environmental approvals. This is a fantastic
opportunity in which industry and resource development in the state is funding
significant environmental outcomes.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
This is actually quite serious, member for Albany.
With the Gorgon island approvals for
an area of 300 hectares or so, there was an immediate offset and animals were
translocated from there to a 1 100-hectare enclosure at Lorna Glen from which
the entire rangelands area can be repopulated. We are also seeing the
re-establishment of mammal and bird populations on the Montebello Islands.
Hopefully, this offset program will continue to repopulate other Pilbara
islands. We are taking ground again. That is a significant part of this
project. We are not losing ground in the fight for endangered mammals; we are
starting to take ground. These islands and enclosures give us staging areas
from which we can start to take more ground.
I would like to place on record my thanks to all the very
committed staff from the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Martu rangers
for what they are doing on this project. We have a range of traditional owner
ranger groups from across the state in the Department of Parks and Wildlife. We
are seeing fantastic outcomes in partnership.
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