❓ Dr. Edwards questions the Minister for Water Resources about proposed logging by CALM in a Metropolitan Water Supply area, focusing on land ownership, management plans, logging practices, and water quality protection. The Minister confirms the logging plan, clarifies land ownership and management, and assures that measures are in place to protect water quality.
AnsweredQoN 766Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
766. Dr EDWARDS to the Minister for Water Resources:
(1) Is the Minister aware that during 2000-2001 CALM proposes to log a forest east of Perth adjacent to Gorrie and Sawyers forest blocks that is within a Metropolitan Water Supply area?
(2) In whom is the land vested and for what purpose(s) is it vested?
(3) Is there a management plan for the area?
(4) If yes, will the Minister table a copy?
(5) Why does CALM want to log this area?
(6) Has it been logged previously and if so, when?
(7) How many hectares does CALM propose to log?
(8) What method(s) of logging does CALM propose to use?
(9) What products will be extracted?
(10) What measures will be taken to ensure that water quality is not affected?
(1) Is the Minister aware that during 2000-2001 CALM proposes to log a forest east of Perth adjacent to Gorrie and Sawyers forest blocks that is within a Metropolitan Water Supply area?
(2) In whom is the land vested and for what purpose(s) is it vested?
(3) Is there a management plan for the area?
(4) If yes, will the Minister table a copy?
(5) Why does CALM want to log this area?
(6) Has it been logged previously and if so, when?
(7) How many hectares does CALM propose to log?
(8) What method(s) of logging does CALM propose to use?
(9) What products will be extracted?
(10) What measures will be taken to ensure that water quality is not affected?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 November 2000
Response time
54 days
The Minister Replied:
(1) Yes.
(2) The land is owned in freehold title by the Water and Rivers Commission and is managed by the Water Corporation under delegation from the Commission. The purpose of Water and Rivers Commission's management is water quality protection.
(3) No.
(4) Not applicable.
(5)(8-9) The forest area to be harvested is mainly for the purpose of thinning to improve the forest vigour with sawlogs being produced as a result of the silvicultural thinning operation.
(6) Yes, approximately 70% of the gross area was logged before 1920, 20% in the 1950s and 10% in the 1960s.
(7) Approximately 1,500 hectares of Commission land (known as "Wellbucket block" for forest management purposes) have been identified on the Swan Region 2000/01 Indicative Logging Plan recently released by the Department of Conservation and Land Management as an area proposed to be harvested. The forest type is a mixture of regrowth jarrah and wandoo forest.
The broad area shown on the Indicative Logging Plan will be field checked to identify specific areas suitable for harvesting. It is expected that approximately 100 hectares will be harvested during 2000/01.
(10) CALM is responsible for managing logging operations in accordance with its forest management plan and associated conditions set by the Minister for the Environment. The Commission is confident that the approved forest management practices of CALM provide adequate general protection for the quality of water resources.
It is also common practice for the Water Corporation, Water and Rivers Commission and CALM to liaise on logging operations in active water supply catchments at the detailed planning stage. In this way logging operations are fine tuned to minimise the risk of local changes in water quality. Such liaison can occur after the public consultation process on CALM's recently released Indicative Logging Plans is completed. The Commission is confident that the planned logging can be carried out with minimum risk to the water quality of Mundaring Reservoir.
(1) Yes.
(2) The land is owned in freehold title by the Water and Rivers Commission and is managed by the Water Corporation under delegation from the Commission. The purpose of Water and Rivers Commission's management is water quality protection.
(3) No.
(4) Not applicable.
(5)(8-9) The forest area to be harvested is mainly for the purpose of thinning to improve the forest vigour with sawlogs being produced as a result of the silvicultural thinning operation.
(6) Yes, approximately 70% of the gross area was logged before 1920, 20% in the 1950s and 10% in the 1960s.
(7) Approximately 1,500 hectares of Commission land (known as "Wellbucket block" for forest management purposes) have been identified on the Swan Region 2000/01 Indicative Logging Plan recently released by the Department of Conservation and Land Management as an area proposed to be harvested. The forest type is a mixture of regrowth jarrah and wandoo forest.
The broad area shown on the Indicative Logging Plan will be field checked to identify specific areas suitable for harvesting. It is expected that approximately 100 hectares will be harvested during 2000/01.
(10) CALM is responsible for managing logging operations in accordance with its forest management plan and associated conditions set by the Minister for the Environment. The Commission is confident that the approved forest management practices of CALM provide adequate general protection for the quality of water resources.
It is also common practice for the Water Corporation, Water and Rivers Commission and CALM to liaise on logging operations in active water supply catchments at the detailed planning stage. In this way logging operations are fine tuned to minimise the risk of local changes in water quality. Such liaison can occur after the public consultation process on CALM's recently released Indicative Logging Plans is completed. The Commission is confident that the planned logging can be carried out with minimum risk to the water quality of Mundaring Reservoir.
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