❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice investigates native vegetation clearing permits, focusing on the number granted/refused, cumulative impacts, staff qualifications, and CO2 emissions. The response provides data on permits, clearing areas, assessment processes, and staff qualifications, while noting limitations in tracking actual clearing and CO2 emissions.
AnsweredQoN 2032Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to native vegetation clearing permits, and I ask: (a) how many permits were
granted in financial year (FY) 2022-23; (b) in relation to (a), how many were refused; (c) in relation to (a), how many were appealed; (d) does the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and/or the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) maintain a
cumulative record of the total numbers of hectares of native vegetation cleared
for mining purposes, road building, sewerage and drainage purposes; (e) if yes to (d), in FY 2022-23, what were the totals cleared for those purposes; (f) does DWER and/or DEMIRS overview the
locations of these clearing permits to determine the cumulative impacts of
permits within the same catchments; (g) if yes to (f), is this a consideration
in whether DWER and/or DEMIRS grants the permits; (h) if no to (g), why not; (i) does DWER and/or DMIRS have staff with
qualifications in botany, hydrology or ecology, whose task is to approve
environmental aspects of these permit applications; (j) if yes to (i), what levels are these
qualifications and how many staff hold them; (k) is there any attempt to record
the CO2e emissions from these clearing activities; (l) if no to (k), why not; and (m) if yes to (k), is there any requirement on companies to offset emissions?
granted in financial year (FY) 2022-23; (b) in relation to (a), how many were refused; (c) in relation to (a), how many were appealed; (d) does the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and/or the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) maintain a
cumulative record of the total numbers of hectares of native vegetation cleared
for mining purposes, road building, sewerage and drainage purposes; (e) if yes to (d), in FY 2022-23, what were the totals cleared for those purposes; (f) does DWER and/or DEMIRS overview the
locations of these clearing permits to determine the cumulative impacts of
permits within the same catchments; (g) if yes to (f), is this a consideration
in whether DWER and/or DEMIRS grants the permits; (h) if no to (g), why not; (i) does DWER and/or DMIRS have staff with
qualifications in botany, hydrology or ecology, whose task is to approve
environmental aspects of these permit applications; (j) if yes to (i), what levels are these
qualifications and how many staff hold them; (k) is there any attempt to record
the CO2e emissions from these clearing activities; (l) if no to (k), why not; and (m) if yes to (k), is there any requirement on companies to offset emissions?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 June 2024
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment
Response time
12 days
(a) By the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER): 176
By the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS): 111
(b) By DWER: 6
By DEMIRS: 0
(c) Decision made by DWER: 19
Decision made by DEMIRS: 0
(d) DWER and DEMIRS maintain records of all clearing permit application areas and areas authorised to be cleared. DWER and DEMIRS do not maintain records of the total amounts of clearing actually undertaken, because permit holders may ultimately clear less than they have been authorised to clear and land managers may clear native vegetation without a clearing permit in certain circumstances (for example, when an exemption applies).
(e) Noting the answer provided to (d), the table below sets out the total amount of clearing authorised under clearing permits (excluding areas authorised through statewide purpose permits) granted in the 2022-23 financial year by both DWER and DEMIRS for the purposes of mining, road building and sewerage and drainage works, rounded to the nearest hectare.
Clearing purpose
Areas approved by DEMIRS in hectares
Areas approved by DWER in hectares
Mining
9,122
18
Road building
0
419
Sewerage and drainage
0
1
(f) Clearing permit assessments consider cumulative impacts under Clearing Principle (e), as described in DWER’s A guide to the assessment of applications to clear native vegetation Under Part V Division 2 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . This assessment of cumulative impacts may have regard to factors including, but not limited to, any clearing approved under clearing permits within the local area, the native vegetation remaining in the relevant Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregion and the vegetation cover within the local area.
(g) Yes, cumulative impacts as outlined in (f) are a consideration in making a clearing permit decision.
(h) Not applicable.
(i) All officers assessing clearing permit applications and delegated officers making decisions on clearing permit applications hold a relevant tertiary qualification. Where clearing permit assessments require additional, specialist technical input, formal advice is sought (for example, expert hydrological advice from relevant DWER business areas, expert land degradation advice from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and expert botanical, zoological and ecological advice from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions).
(j) The table below, accurate as at 17 May 2024, summarises the highest level of education of clearing permit assessment and delegated officers at DWER and DEMIRS (permanent and fixed term contract staff), and indicates their relevant specialisation.
Qualification level
Field
Zoology
NRM
Env. Sci.
Cons. Bio.
DWER
Doctorate
1
2
Master's degree
4
2
Bachelor's degree
1
9
4
Total
1
1
15
6
DEMIRS
Doctorate
1
Master's degree
2
Bachelor's degree
3
1
Total
3
4
NRM = Natural Resource Management, Env. Sci. = Environmental Science, Cons. Bio. = Conservation Biology
(k) No.
(l) Clearing permit applications are assessed against the 10 Clearing Principles set out in Schedule 5 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . There is no provision for the recording of CO 2 emissions from clearing activities in the clearing permit assessment framework.
(m) Not applicable.
By the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS): 111
(b) By DWER: 6
By DEMIRS: 0
(c) Decision made by DWER: 19
Decision made by DEMIRS: 0
(d) DWER and DEMIRS maintain records of all clearing permit application areas and areas authorised to be cleared. DWER and DEMIRS do not maintain records of the total amounts of clearing actually undertaken, because permit holders may ultimately clear less than they have been authorised to clear and land managers may clear native vegetation without a clearing permit in certain circumstances (for example, when an exemption applies).
(e) Noting the answer provided to (d), the table below sets out the total amount of clearing authorised under clearing permits (excluding areas authorised through statewide purpose permits) granted in the 2022-23 financial year by both DWER and DEMIRS for the purposes of mining, road building and sewerage and drainage works, rounded to the nearest hectare.
Clearing purpose
Areas approved by DEMIRS in hectares
Areas approved by DWER in hectares
Mining
9,122
18
Road building
0
419
Sewerage and drainage
0
1
(f) Clearing permit assessments consider cumulative impacts under Clearing Principle (e), as described in DWER’s A guide to the assessment of applications to clear native vegetation Under Part V Division 2 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . This assessment of cumulative impacts may have regard to factors including, but not limited to, any clearing approved under clearing permits within the local area, the native vegetation remaining in the relevant Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregion and the vegetation cover within the local area.
(g) Yes, cumulative impacts as outlined in (f) are a consideration in making a clearing permit decision.
(h) Not applicable.
(i) All officers assessing clearing permit applications and delegated officers making decisions on clearing permit applications hold a relevant tertiary qualification. Where clearing permit assessments require additional, specialist technical input, formal advice is sought (for example, expert hydrological advice from relevant DWER business areas, expert land degradation advice from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and expert botanical, zoological and ecological advice from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions).
(j) The table below, accurate as at 17 May 2024, summarises the highest level of education of clearing permit assessment and delegated officers at DWER and DEMIRS (permanent and fixed term contract staff), and indicates their relevant specialisation.
Qualification level
Field
Zoology
NRM
Env. Sci.
Cons. Bio.
DWER
Doctorate
1
2
Master's degree
4
2
Bachelor's degree
1
9
4
Total
1
1
15
6
DEMIRS
Doctorate
1
Master's degree
2
Bachelor's degree
3
1
Total
3
4
NRM = Natural Resource Management, Env. Sci. = Environmental Science, Cons. Bio. = Conservation Biology
(k) No.
(l) Clearing permit applications are assessed against the 10 Clearing Principles set out in Schedule 5 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . There is no provision for the recording of CO 2 emissions from clearing activities in the clearing permit assessment framework.
(m) Not applicable.
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