❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding native vegetation clearing permits granted to shires for roadworks, questioning the DEC's adherence to clearing principles and offset policies, particularly within the Southwest Australia Hotspot.
AnsweredQoN 4369Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Notices of Clearing Permits and Undertakings decided on and available for public appeal, published in the West Australian each Monday, between 28 August and 9 October 2006, and I ask -
(1) Is the Minister aware that according to these notices 26 shires have been granted native vegetation purpose clearing permits to undertake road maintenance, widening and related road works activities that permit clearing of over 490 hectares of vegetation, of which 310 hectares are within the Southwest Australia Hotspot as defined by Conservation International?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Is the Minister aware of the clearing mitigation principles of ‘avoid, minimise, rectify, reduce and offset in that order’, set out in section 3 part A of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Position Statement No. 9, entitled Environmental Offsets?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Does the Minister support these principles?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Is the Minister aware that the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), assesses clearing proposals against ten clearing principles laid out in its Clearing Permit Decision Reports, and that in respect of all the Shires located within the Southwest Australia Hotspot, the permitted clearing was noted as being at variance to at least one, but up to six of those principles?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister explain on what grounds the decision was made by the DEC not to refuse those clearing proposals which were judged to be at variance with one or more of the clearing principles?
(10) Can the Minister explain what factors, if any, were taken into account by the DEC, other than those relating to the ten clearing principles referred to above, in making its decisions as whether the clearing proposals referred to above were unavoidable in the context of the EPA’s Position Statement No. 9?
(1) Is the Minister aware that according to these notices 26 shires have been granted native vegetation purpose clearing permits to undertake road maintenance, widening and related road works activities that permit clearing of over 490 hectares of vegetation, of which 310 hectares are within the Southwest Australia Hotspot as defined by Conservation International?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Is the Minister aware of the clearing mitigation principles of ‘avoid, minimise, rectify, reduce and offset in that order’, set out in section 3 part A of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Position Statement No. 9, entitled Environmental Offsets?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Does the Minister support these principles?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Is the Minister aware that the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), assesses clearing proposals against ten clearing principles laid out in its Clearing Permit Decision Reports, and that in respect of all the Shires located within the Southwest Australia Hotspot, the permitted clearing was noted as being at variance to at least one, but up to six of those principles?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister explain on what grounds the decision was made by the DEC not to refuse those clearing proposals which were judged to be at variance with one or more of the clearing principles?
(10) Can the Minister explain what factors, if any, were taken into account by the DEC, other than those relating to the ten clearing principles referred to above, in making its decisions as whether the clearing proposals referred to above were unavoidable in the context of the EPA’s Position Statement No. 9?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
4 December 2006
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for the Environment
Response time
32 days
(2) Not applicable. (3)-(10) A number of these permits are currently subject to appeal under section 101A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . It is not appropriate to comment on these permits while they are subject to appeal. However I invite the Hon. Member to make inquiry on those permits not subject to appeal and that information will be provided.
(3)-(10) A number of these permits are currently subject to appeal under section 101A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . It is not appropriate to comment on these permits while they are subject to appeal. However I invite the Hon. Member to make inquiry on those permits not subject to appeal and that information will be provided.
(3)-(10) A number of these permits are currently subject to appeal under section 101A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 . It is not appropriate to comment on these permits while they are subject to appeal. However I invite the Hon. Member to make inquiry on those permits not subject to appeal and that information will be provided.
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