❓ Hon Jess Beckerling questioned the Minister for the Environment regarding Alcoa's 2023 exemption order, specifically focusing on the measurement of significant trees and the methodology used by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) in their investigations.
AnsweredQoN 436Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Alcoa—Exemption order
436. Hon Jess Beckerling to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to Alcoa's
current 2023 exemption order and the recent investigation reports into
suspected breaches of that order, which were tabled in this place on
14 May 2026.
(1) Since that order was put in place,
how many potentially significant trees has the Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation measured within the mining area covered by the order?
(2) What methodology for tree measuring
was used in each instance?
(3) Why, in the process of investigating
potential breaches reported by me recently, did DWER need to ask for advice
from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions on how to
measure whether or not a tree is significant?
436. Hon Jess Beckerling to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to Alcoa's
current 2023 exemption order and the recent investigation reports into
suspected breaches of that order, which were tabled in this place on
14 May 2026.
(1) Since that order was put in place,
how many potentially significant trees has the Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation measured within the mining area covered by the order?
(2) What methodology for tree measuring
was used in each instance?
(3) Why, in the process of investigating
potential breaches reported by me recently, did DWER need to ask for advice
from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions on how to
measure whether or not a tree is significant?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for some notice of the question.
(1) The Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation has undertaken approximately 95 inspections
relating to black cockatoo habitat, including of significant trees. Of the
trees measured during inspections, 15 trees were determined to be
significant trees as defined by the exemption order.
(2) The methodology used by DWER has been
consistent with the 2003 Tree measurement manual
for farm foresters by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry's Bureau of Rural Sciences.
(3) As part of its investigations, DWER
identified that the hollowbutt tree was oriented in a manner that required
additional advice from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attractions to ensure that the correct industry-standard methodology was being
used in those circumstances.
for some notice of the question.
(1) The Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation has undertaken approximately 95 inspections
relating to black cockatoo habitat, including of significant trees. Of the
trees measured during inspections, 15 trees were determined to be
significant trees as defined by the exemption order.
(2) The methodology used by DWER has been
consistent with the 2003 Tree measurement manual
for farm foresters by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry's Bureau of Rural Sciences.
(3) As part of its investigations, DWER
identified that the hollowbutt tree was oriented in a manner that required
additional advice from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attractions to ensure that the correct industry-standard methodology was being
used in those circumstances.
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