❓ A WA parliamentary question scrutinises the government's response to the Western Ringtail Possum being listed as endangered, focusing on logging, prescribed burning, and funding. The response defends current practices and funding levels.
AnsweredQoN 2569Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Noting the recent decision of the Minister for Environment to raise the status of the Western ringtail possum (WRP) from vulnerable to endangered under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 , I ask: (a) did the Western Australia Threatened Species Advisory Committee provide any advice to the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) or the Minister that the WRP should be raised to critically endangered status; (b) if yes to (a), why was that advice ignored; (c) noting that expert opinion set out in the CSIRO publication, An Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012 , and the WRP Recovery Plan itself identifies fire, including prescribed burning, and habitat loss from housing, mining and logging as key threatening processes for the endangered WRP, what specific new measures will the Minister be implementing to ensure these threats are abated as a matter of urgency if the species is to survive; (d) will the Minister now review current and future logging and prescribed burning plans to ensure that critical WRP habitat is not destroyed; (e) if no to (d), why not; (f) does DPaW conduct any specific pre-burning or pre-logging surveys to identify the presence and abundance of WRP in areas being considered for logging or burning; (g) if no to (f), why not; (h) does DPaW conduct any post-logging or post-burning surveys or monitoring programs to assess and quantify the impacts of logging and prescribed burning operations on WRPs; (i) if yes to (h), what are the results of those studies and where are they published; (j) if no to (h), why not; (k) is the Minister aware of the published scientific research that demonstrates that logging, burning and other forms of habitat destruction, disturbance and fragmentation are key mechanisms by which foxes and cats gain easy access to and predate on native mammals such as the WRP; (l) if yes to (k), is the Minister satisfied that the current and planned logging and prescribed burning operations carried out by the department or other government agencies will not push the WRP closer to extinction; (m) if yes to (l), on the basis of what scientific advice is the Minister satisfied; (n) will the Minister release the advice in (m); (o) if no to (n), why not; (p) why does DPaW have on its website an approved recovery plan for the WRP, Wildlife Management Program No. 58 , dated February 2014, and a second version dated October 2014, when the federal Department of the Environment is asking for submissions on a draft recovery plan by 13 February 2015; (q) what funding is currently being provided and to which organisations to ensure the WRP does not move closer to extinction; (r) what additional funding will be provided and to which organisations to implement the WRP recovery plan given the species status as endangered; (s) have any Western Australian native species of plants and animals in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan 2014-2023 been moved to a higher category of threat since August 2008; and (t) if yes to (s), which ones and on what dates?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 March 2015
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
22 days
(a) No
(b) Not applicable
(c) The conservation measures for the western ringtail possum are outlined in the
Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan 2014
, which include actions taken under both the current and previous Forest Management Plan.
(d) No
(e) Development of the
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
was supported by a number of evaluations, including a review of south-west forest silviculture guidelines and an independent review of the calculation of the sustained yield of forest products. The Plan includes a hierarchy of measures to protect biological diversity, at the whole-of-forest, landscape and local levels. These include:
• the network of conservation reserves and informal reserves;
• the protection of all areas of old-growth forest;
• fauna habitat zones, which are areas of forest across the landscape set aside from timber harvesting, to provide a refuge and source of native animals to recolonise disturbed areas as they regenerate; and
• on a local level, retaining habitat elements, including habitat trees with hollows or the potential to develop hollows, habitat logs, midstorey vegetation and long-lived species such as grass trees, in areas subject to timber harvesting.
(f) No
(g) Parks and Wildlife administers an approvals process for timber harvesting operations, which identifies actions to protect the range of forest values. A rigorous approvals process is also applied for prescribed burning. Both processes aim to avoid or mitigate impacts on threatened and priority fauna (and flora)
(h) No
(i) Not applicable
(j) Results from Parks and Wildlife's long-term forest monitoring program,
ForestCheck
, show that the biodiversity of jarrah forests is resilient to the effects of timber harvesting.
ForestCheck
results are published by Parks and Wildlife.
(k) Yes. The Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan summarises known information relating to processes threatening the western ringtail possum. Habitat disturbance is recognised as a contributing factor for access by introduced predators.
(l) Yes
(m) The management approaches for western ringtail possum and other threatened and priority fauna outlined in the Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan 2014,
Forest Management Plan 2004-2013
and
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
, are based on scientific evidence. With respect to timber harvesting and prescribed burning, a suite of departmental guidance documents have been revised, developed or are in development, which outline the procedures and practices applied to operations.
(n) The Forest Management Plan is a public document and relevant supporting information was publically released during the preparation of the Plan.
(o) Not applicable
(p) The February 2014 recovery plan on the Department of Parks and Wildlife website is the plan prepared by the Department and endorsed as a State recovery plan for this species. This recovery plan was subsequently referred to the Australian Government for approval under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act) as a national recovery plan. Minor amendments were requested by the Australian Government and this amended recovery plan, dated October 2014, was open for public comment on the Commonwealth Department of the Environment's website. The October 2014 plan is not located on Parks and Wildlife's website.
(q) No specific funding is being provided to any organisation for the western ringtail possum. Management actions relating to the western ringtail possum are included in operational activities of the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Forest Products Commission, and through planning and environmental impact assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority, the Department of Environment Regulation, the WA Planning Commission and relevant local governments.
(r) No additional funding has been identified for western ringtail possum management. The Australian Government requires recovery plans to include an indicative estimate of costs for recovery actions. Specific budgets are not normally provided for recovery plan implementation. Such actions are implemented on a State priority basis, and as resources become available over the life of the plan.
(s) Yes
(t) The listed threatened species that have moved to a higher level of threat since August 2008 in the area covered by the
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
are:
Species
Date
Trithuria occidentalis
(previously listed as
Hydatella dioica)
23/2/2010
Botaurus poiciloptilus
(Australasian bittern)
17/8/2010
Rostratula australis
(Australian Painted Snipe)
6/11/2012
Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi
(Woylie or Brush-tailed bettong)
17/9/2013
Pseudocheirus occidentalis
(Western Ringtail Possum)
2/12/2014
Banksia verticillata
2/12/2014
(b) Not applicable
(c) The conservation measures for the western ringtail possum are outlined in the
Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan 2014
, which include actions taken under both the current and previous Forest Management Plan.
(d) No
(e) Development of the
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
was supported by a number of evaluations, including a review of south-west forest silviculture guidelines and an independent review of the calculation of the sustained yield of forest products. The Plan includes a hierarchy of measures to protect biological diversity, at the whole-of-forest, landscape and local levels. These include:
• the network of conservation reserves and informal reserves;
• the protection of all areas of old-growth forest;
• fauna habitat zones, which are areas of forest across the landscape set aside from timber harvesting, to provide a refuge and source of native animals to recolonise disturbed areas as they regenerate; and
• on a local level, retaining habitat elements, including habitat trees with hollows or the potential to develop hollows, habitat logs, midstorey vegetation and long-lived species such as grass trees, in areas subject to timber harvesting.
(f) No
(g) Parks and Wildlife administers an approvals process for timber harvesting operations, which identifies actions to protect the range of forest values. A rigorous approvals process is also applied for prescribed burning. Both processes aim to avoid or mitigate impacts on threatened and priority fauna (and flora)
(h) No
(i) Not applicable
(j) Results from Parks and Wildlife's long-term forest monitoring program,
ForestCheck
, show that the biodiversity of jarrah forests is resilient to the effects of timber harvesting.
ForestCheck
results are published by Parks and Wildlife.
(k) Yes. The Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan summarises known information relating to processes threatening the western ringtail possum. Habitat disturbance is recognised as a contributing factor for access by introduced predators.
(l) Yes
(m) The management approaches for western ringtail possum and other threatened and priority fauna outlined in the Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan 2014,
Forest Management Plan 2004-2013
and
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
, are based on scientific evidence. With respect to timber harvesting and prescribed burning, a suite of departmental guidance documents have been revised, developed or are in development, which outline the procedures and practices applied to operations.
(n) The Forest Management Plan is a public document and relevant supporting information was publically released during the preparation of the Plan.
(o) Not applicable
(p) The February 2014 recovery plan on the Department of Parks and Wildlife website is the plan prepared by the Department and endorsed as a State recovery plan for this species. This recovery plan was subsequently referred to the Australian Government for approval under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act) as a national recovery plan. Minor amendments were requested by the Australian Government and this amended recovery plan, dated October 2014, was open for public comment on the Commonwealth Department of the Environment's website. The October 2014 plan is not located on Parks and Wildlife's website.
(q) No specific funding is being provided to any organisation for the western ringtail possum. Management actions relating to the western ringtail possum are included in operational activities of the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Forest Products Commission, and through planning and environmental impact assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority, the Department of Environment Regulation, the WA Planning Commission and relevant local governments.
(r) No additional funding has been identified for western ringtail possum management. The Australian Government requires recovery plans to include an indicative estimate of costs for recovery actions. Specific budgets are not normally provided for recovery plan implementation. Such actions are implemented on a State priority basis, and as resources become available over the life of the plan.
(s) Yes
(t) The listed threatened species that have moved to a higher level of threat since August 2008 in the area covered by the
Forest Management Plan 2014-2023
are:
Species
Date
Trithuria occidentalis
(previously listed as
Hydatella dioica)
23/2/2010
Botaurus poiciloptilus
(Australasian bittern)
17/8/2010
Rostratula australis
(Australian Painted Snipe)
6/11/2012
Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi
(Woylie or Brush-tailed bettong)
17/9/2013
Pseudocheirus occidentalis
(Western Ringtail Possum)
2/12/2014
Banksia verticillata
2/12/2014
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