❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses illegal deep drains in the wheatbelt, seeking information on reported cases, estimated extent, and investigation processes. The Minister provides data on complaints and confirms investigation processes are in place, but no prosecutions are underway.
AnsweredQoN 493Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Regarding illegal drains in the wheatbelt - (1) How many reports were received last year of property owners establishing agricultural deep drains without submitting a notice of intent or seeking any form of approval? (2) Does the minister have any estimate of the number and extent of deep drains that have been established without proper approval processes having been followed? (3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
(1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(1) How many reports were received last year of property owners establishing agricultural deep drains without submitting a notice of intent or seeking any form of approval? (2) Does the minister have any estimate of the number and extent of deep drains that have been established without proper approval processes having been followed? (3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(2) Does the minister have any estimate of the number and extent of deep drains that have been established without proper approval processes having been followed? (3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(1) How many reports were received last year of property owners establishing agricultural deep drains without submitting a notice of intent or seeking any form of approval? (2) Does the minister have any estimate of the number and extent of deep drains that have been established without proper approval processes having been followed? (3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(2) Does the minister have any estimate of the number and extent of deep drains that have been established without proper approval processes having been followed? (3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(3) Has a process been established to systematically investigate the widespread flouting of the law concerning the construction of agricultural deep drains, which have impacts beyond the boundaries of the properties being drained? (4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(4) If no to (3), why not? (5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(5) If yes to (3), how many people are currently being investigated for possible prosecution for environmental harm? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(1) Four. (2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(2) No. Apart from the official complaints register, I have no other estimate of the extent of non-notified drainage works carried out in the wheatbelt. (3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(3) Yes. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation registers and investigates all drainage complaints received by the Department of Agriculture from all sources. (4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(4) Not applicable. (5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
(5) The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response - None.
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