❓ The Minister for Environment outlines conservation work planned for the Kimberley in 2015-16 as part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy, including funding allocation, program continuation, feral species removal, and national park progression.
AnsweredQoN 480Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIMBERLEY SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION STRATEGY
480. Mr B.J. GRYLLS to the Minister for
Environment:
Will the minister please tell the
house what conservation work will occur in the Kimberley as part of the 2015–16
budget?
480. Mr B.J. GRYLLS to the Minister for
Environment:
Will the minister please tell the
house what conservation work will occur in the Kimberley as part of the 2015–16
budget?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for that
question, which relates to this government's Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. This strategy is the single largest conservation
investment in total in Western Australia by this or any government. Over the
previous term of government and this term of government, the investment in the
Kimberley science and conservation strategy is in excess of $80 million
budgeted. Of that $81.5 million for the strategy, $9.51 million has been
budgeted for this coming 2015–16 year. Much of that funding will be
spent on the continuation of existing programs such as the very important work
being done on conservation in the Kimberley islands and in a better fire
management regime across the Kimberley, which has already seen the number of
late-season destructive fires reduced by more than half. Minister for
Corrective Services, the investment will also focus on the removal of feral
species throughout the Kimberley, with an ongoing focus on cattle, with more
than 16 000 feral cattle already removed from across the Kimberley. Two of our
key 2015–16 priorities is to continue to progress the listing of the
Horizontal Falls National Park and the new Kimberley national park, which is
becoming very much a centrepiece of this strategy. Indeed, progression of the
new Kimberley national park, as many in the house would be aware, is only
possible because of the fantastic work that has been done in recent months by
the Department of State Development and the Premier's office and also
by Rio Tinto and other partners in being able to relinquish the mining tenement
leases that were held over Mitchell Plateau, allowing us to plan for what will
be the largest terrestrial national park in not only Western Australia but also
Australia. This park will be significant because it not only is the largest but
also will capture the only bioregion within Australia that has not had a single
mammal extinction since European settlement.
These conservation reserves, in
particular, as I said, Horizontal Falls and the great Kimberley national park,
will be progressed through the development of Indigenous land use agreements
and joint management agreements with local traditional owners. Indeed, more
than 200 traditional owners have already been engaged in on-country land
management throughout the Kimberley through joint management agreements under
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy. Also, 50 employment contracts
for Aboriginal rangers have been let through this strategy, which shows not
only a strong environmental outcome in that region, but also a strong community
outcome throughout the Kimberley through the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy. So, 2015–16 will be an exciting year for that program.
question, which relates to this government's Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. This strategy is the single largest conservation
investment in total in Western Australia by this or any government. Over the
previous term of government and this term of government, the investment in the
Kimberley science and conservation strategy is in excess of $80 million
budgeted. Of that $81.5 million for the strategy, $9.51 million has been
budgeted for this coming 2015–16 year. Much of that funding will be
spent on the continuation of existing programs such as the very important work
being done on conservation in the Kimberley islands and in a better fire
management regime across the Kimberley, which has already seen the number of
late-season destructive fires reduced by more than half. Minister for
Corrective Services, the investment will also focus on the removal of feral
species throughout the Kimberley, with an ongoing focus on cattle, with more
than 16 000 feral cattle already removed from across the Kimberley. Two of our
key 2015–16 priorities is to continue to progress the listing of the
Horizontal Falls National Park and the new Kimberley national park, which is
becoming very much a centrepiece of this strategy. Indeed, progression of the
new Kimberley national park, as many in the house would be aware, is only
possible because of the fantastic work that has been done in recent months by
the Department of State Development and the Premier's office and also
by Rio Tinto and other partners in being able to relinquish the mining tenement
leases that were held over Mitchell Plateau, allowing us to plan for what will
be the largest terrestrial national park in not only Western Australia but also
Australia. This park will be significant because it not only is the largest but
also will capture the only bioregion within Australia that has not had a single
mammal extinction since European settlement.
These conservation reserves, in
particular, as I said, Horizontal Falls and the great Kimberley national park,
will be progressed through the development of Indigenous land use agreements
and joint management agreements with local traditional owners. Indeed, more
than 200 traditional owners have already been engaged in on-country land
management throughout the Kimberley through joint management agreements under
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy. Also, 50 employment contracts
for Aboriginal rangers have been let through this strategy, which shows not
only a strong environmental outcome in that region, but also a strong community
outcome throughout the Kimberley through the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy. So, 2015–16 will be an exciting year for that program.
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