❓ The Minister for Environment provides an update on the establishment of the south coast marine park, highlighting community consultation, adjustments to sanctuary zones based on feedback from commercial and recreational fishers, and the support of the Tourism Council WA.
AnsweredQoN 83Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLAN FOR OUR PARKS
83. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
Plan for Our Parks, creating five million hectares of new national and marine
parks across the state.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on the establishment of the south coast marine park?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this new marine park will deliver ecological
conservation efforts while ensuring ongoing recreational and commercial
activities?
83. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
Plan for Our Parks, creating five million hectares of new national and marine
parks across the state.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on the establishment of the south coast marine park?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this new marine park will deliver ecological
conservation efforts while ensuring ongoing recreational and commercial
activities?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for her question and for her
passionate support of our environment,
especially in the great part of Western Australia that she represents. I know
she has a deep and abiding passion for all things marine and is a great
enthusiast of her local surf lifesaving club. The south coast marine park, as
the member rightly points out, is a massive step forward for our environment.
It is a beautiful and unique place. It harbours some of the rarest creatures
and marine life that one could ever imagine—animals, fish and plants
that occur nowhere else. At the moment, less than one per cent of that valuable
marinescape is protected. That needs to be changed, and Western Australians are
supportive of protecting our environment, both on land and in the sea.
On Friday, I had the pleasure of
going to Esperance and meeting a number of people. I was with the local member
there, Hon Shelley Payne —
Mr R.S. Love : She's
not the local member.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : She is one of
the local members. She is actually very local. Her husband is involved in
commercial fishing. She lives and breathes Esperance.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thanks for
the contribution, member.
This
is a wonderful step forward. It is a significant step forward to protect the Western
Australian environment and —
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thank you.
Yes, there will opportunity for public comment. I hope the member will have his
say and I encourage as many people as possible to have their say.
I
was in Esperance with other local people. I met Alan and Callum Wilson, who
have invested their life in commercial fisheries in the Esperance
region. They are generational abalone families. They are part of this process.
They are looking at the indicative maps. The indicative maps were released on
Friday. It is a very impressive piece of information. The information on the
website provides granular detail about the maps and zones. It provides an idea
of what impact there might be on commercial or recreational fishers or
tourists. It also provides an idea of what the opportunities are—which
parts of the south coast will be protected and what will be open to all the
wonderful things that happen there at the moment. Alan and Callum are abalone
fishers and they sat down with me. We had the
maps rolled out, looked at the detail of the sanctuary zones, and suggestions
were made such as, ''We could pull that one back here'', ''That
is a valuable diversity hotspot over there'' and ''This one works
better for fishing; can we move it over?'' That in-depth, detailed
analysis of the maps means that this process is not over yet. We have already
made a number of concessions to commercial and recreational fishers that change
sanctuary zones. We are moving some and reducing others, and we continue to do
that work. For the next four months, the entire community of Western Australia
is welcome to go online and have a look at the maps and what the marine park
means. If there is any feedback that we need to make this an even better marine
park for the future, I urge everyone to provide it.
The
statutory requirement for consultation is three months; I have extended it to
four months because this is an important marine park and we want to get
it right. I will conclude by quoting the Tourism Council of Western Australia.
Whenever we open a marine park or a national park, the contribution to the
economic vitality of Western Australia through tourism is an important
question.
In a media release, the Tourism
Council stated —
Tourism Council WA welcomes the State
Government's proposed South Coast Marine Park, which will provide new
opportunities for nature-based tourism.
Chief Executive Officer Evan Hall
said the industry body supported the reservation of National Parks and Marine
Parks to protect the environment and protect ongoing visitor access, enjoyment
and appreciation of WA's natural environment.
''Tourism Council WA backs the
indicative management plans' intention of maintaining current beach and
coastal access for visitors such as through camping,'' �
That is an endorsement from the
Tourism Council and I will continue to consult with all stakeholders. We want
the best possible outcome. The process is not over. It is still in progress,
and the opportunity for public consultation and comment is open until 16 June.
Thank you for the question.
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for her question and for her
passionate support of our environment,
especially in the great part of Western Australia that she represents. I know
she has a deep and abiding passion for all things marine and is a great
enthusiast of her local surf lifesaving club. The south coast marine park, as
the member rightly points out, is a massive step forward for our environment.
It is a beautiful and unique place. It harbours some of the rarest creatures
and marine life that one could ever imagine—animals, fish and plants
that occur nowhere else. At the moment, less than one per cent of that valuable
marinescape is protected. That needs to be changed, and Western Australians are
supportive of protecting our environment, both on land and in the sea.
On Friday, I had the pleasure of
going to Esperance and meeting a number of people. I was with the local member
there, Hon Shelley Payne —
Mr R.S. Love : She's
not the local member.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : She is one of
the local members. She is actually very local. Her husband is involved in
commercial fishing. She lives and breathes Esperance.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thanks for
the contribution, member.
This
is a wonderful step forward. It is a significant step forward to protect the Western
Australian environment and —
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thank you.
Yes, there will opportunity for public comment. I hope the member will have his
say and I encourage as many people as possible to have their say.
I
was in Esperance with other local people. I met Alan and Callum Wilson, who
have invested their life in commercial fisheries in the Esperance
region. They are generational abalone families. They are part of this process.
They are looking at the indicative maps. The indicative maps were released on
Friday. It is a very impressive piece of information. The information on the
website provides granular detail about the maps and zones. It provides an idea
of what impact there might be on commercial or recreational fishers or
tourists. It also provides an idea of what the opportunities are—which
parts of the south coast will be protected and what will be open to all the
wonderful things that happen there at the moment. Alan and Callum are abalone
fishers and they sat down with me. We had the
maps rolled out, looked at the detail of the sanctuary zones, and suggestions
were made such as, ''We could pull that one back here'', ''That
is a valuable diversity hotspot over there'' and ''This one works
better for fishing; can we move it over?'' That in-depth, detailed
analysis of the maps means that this process is not over yet. We have already
made a number of concessions to commercial and recreational fishers that change
sanctuary zones. We are moving some and reducing others, and we continue to do
that work. For the next four months, the entire community of Western Australia
is welcome to go online and have a look at the maps and what the marine park
means. If there is any feedback that we need to make this an even better marine
park for the future, I urge everyone to provide it.
The
statutory requirement for consultation is three months; I have extended it to
four months because this is an important marine park and we want to get
it right. I will conclude by quoting the Tourism Council of Western Australia.
Whenever we open a marine park or a national park, the contribution to the
economic vitality of Western Australia through tourism is an important
question.
In a media release, the Tourism
Council stated —
Tourism Council WA welcomes the State
Government's proposed South Coast Marine Park, which will provide new
opportunities for nature-based tourism.
Chief Executive Officer Evan Hall
said the industry body supported the reservation of National Parks and Marine
Parks to protect the environment and protect ongoing visitor access, enjoyment
and appreciation of WA's natural environment.
''Tourism Council WA backs the
indicative management plans' intention of maintaining current beach and
coastal access for visitors such as through camping,'' �
That is an endorsement from the
Tourism Council and I will continue to consult with all stakeholders. We want
the best possible outcome. The process is not over. It is still in progress,
and the opportunity for public consultation and comment is open until 16 June.
Thank you for the question.
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