❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Environment regarding a potential large-scale conversion of public land to irrigated agriculture, raising concerns about environmental impacts and carbon emissions. The Minister denies any current development proposal of that scale.
AnsweredQoN 3370Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Noting the Minister’s joint media announcement of 21 August 2015, Land tenure boost for irrigated agriculture and subsequent coverage in The West Australian entitled "Land Tenure Deal to Drive Investment", I ask: (a) was
the Minister aware at the time of the announcement that the Government is considering
more than 10 million hectares of Western Australian public (Crown) land for possible conversion
to intensive irrigated agriculture; (b) if the
Government is not considering more than 10 million hectares of land for
possible conversion to intensive irrigated agriculture as reported, what is the
correct figure for area under consideration for possible conversion to intensive
irrigated agriculture; (c) of
this area, how much is currently under native vegetation; (d) how
many hectares of native vegetation would need to be cleared to achieve the irrigation
area the Government is seeking to create; (e) is
the Minister aware of any studies or assessments that have been done either by
his department or by the Ministers for Lands or Water on the conservation
significance of this large area of native vegetation; for example its
biodiversity and threatened species habitat values; (f) if
yes to (e), will the Minister table those studies; (g) if no to (f), why not; (h) given
the large area of native vegetation clearing involved, and the large volumes of
groundwater involved, does the Minister expect the proposed conversion of these
areas to intensive irrigation to be referred by the relevant government
department or Minister to the Environmental Protection Authority for assessment as a strategic proposal; (i) if no to (h), why not; (j) will
any proposal for conversion be required to comply with the native vegetation
clearing principles set out in the Environment Protection Act 1986 ; (k) if no to (j), why not; (l) over
what timeframe is the Government planning for this conversion of millions of
hectares of public land to intensive irrigated, and possibly freehold, land to
occur; (m) is
the Minister aware of any economic analysis of this potential large scale
clearing of native vegetation in terms of either its carbon emissions impacts
or its impacts on the regional tourism industry; (n) if yes to (m), will the Minister table those analyses; (o) if no to (n), why not; (p) is
the Minister aware of studies done on the carbon sequestration status of areas
such as the Great Western Woodlands showing that these rangelands and pastoral
ecosystems store carbon at a level of around 60 tonnes, on average, per hectare
in soil and vegetation; (q) is
the Minister concerned that the conversion of up to or more than 10 million
hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia’s rangelands could equate in total to
hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, which is many times
greater than Western Australia’s current total annual carbon dioxide emissions; (r) if
yes to (q), what does the Minister expect the Government to do in order to ensure this
massive carbon dioxide emissions outcome does not occur; (s) is
the Minister aware as to whether the Western Australian Government has advised the Federal
Environment Minister, Hon Greg Hunt, that it is considering a proposal to create hundreds
of millions of tonnes of additional carbon dioxide emissions via this irrigated
agriculture proposal; (t) if yes to (s),
when was the Federal Environment Minister advised; (u) when
does the Minister expect the Government to refer this proposal for assessment
under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act); (v) does
any of the 10 million or so hectares under consideration by the Government for
intensive irrigation fall within any of the below categories and, if so, in each
case, what area, in hectares, is involved: (i) former
pastoral properties purchased by the Department for Conservation and Land Management (CALM), Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) for transfer to the conservation
estate; (ii) current
conservation reserve of any kind; (iii) Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
or CALM/DEC/DPaW proposed conservation reserve; for example Red Book or subsequent
recommended areas; (iv) national
heritage-listed areas, such as the Fitzroy River; (v) the
Great Western Woodlands; (vi) areas
identified by Tourism Western Australia or the tourism industry as having
significant and strategic tourism and aesthetic values, for example widely promoted regional
wildflower tourism destinations; and (vii) areas
known to be at risk of serious and repeated flooding as mapped or otherwise
documented by the Department of Water or other responsible state or federal government
agencies; (w) what
legal protections does the Minister expect the Government will put in place to
ensure the public is protected from liability if areas identified by the
Government for conversion to freehold and/or intensive irrigation subsequently
fail due to flooding, inadequate soils, insufficient sustainable water supplies,
in quality or quantity, attack by known pests and diseases or lack of
adequate supporting infrastructure; (x) to
the best of the Minister’s knowledge, do any of the 10 million hectares of
potential irrigation land rely on the construction of new dams on any rivers or
other major watercourses; and (y) if yes to (x), which rivers or other major watercourses, by region, have been identified
as having potential dam sites?
the Minister aware at the time of the announcement that the Government is considering
more than 10 million hectares of Western Australian public (Crown) land for possible conversion
to intensive irrigated agriculture; (b) if the
Government is not considering more than 10 million hectares of land for
possible conversion to intensive irrigated agriculture as reported, what is the
correct figure for area under consideration for possible conversion to intensive
irrigated agriculture; (c) of
this area, how much is currently under native vegetation; (d) how
many hectares of native vegetation would need to be cleared to achieve the irrigation
area the Government is seeking to create; (e) is
the Minister aware of any studies or assessments that have been done either by
his department or by the Ministers for Lands or Water on the conservation
significance of this large area of native vegetation; for example its
biodiversity and threatened species habitat values; (f) if
yes to (e), will the Minister table those studies; (g) if no to (f), why not; (h) given
the large area of native vegetation clearing involved, and the large volumes of
groundwater involved, does the Minister expect the proposed conversion of these
areas to intensive irrigation to be referred by the relevant government
department or Minister to the Environmental Protection Authority for assessment as a strategic proposal; (i) if no to (h), why not; (j) will
any proposal for conversion be required to comply with the native vegetation
clearing principles set out in the Environment Protection Act 1986 ; (k) if no to (j), why not; (l) over
what timeframe is the Government planning for this conversion of millions of
hectares of public land to intensive irrigated, and possibly freehold, land to
occur; (m) is
the Minister aware of any economic analysis of this potential large scale
clearing of native vegetation in terms of either its carbon emissions impacts
or its impacts on the regional tourism industry; (n) if yes to (m), will the Minister table those analyses; (o) if no to (n), why not; (p) is
the Minister aware of studies done on the carbon sequestration status of areas
such as the Great Western Woodlands showing that these rangelands and pastoral
ecosystems store carbon at a level of around 60 tonnes, on average, per hectare
in soil and vegetation; (q) is
the Minister concerned that the conversion of up to or more than 10 million
hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia’s rangelands could equate in total to
hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, which is many times
greater than Western Australia’s current total annual carbon dioxide emissions; (r) if
yes to (q), what does the Minister expect the Government to do in order to ensure this
massive carbon dioxide emissions outcome does not occur; (s) is
the Minister aware as to whether the Western Australian Government has advised the Federal
Environment Minister, Hon Greg Hunt, that it is considering a proposal to create hundreds
of millions of tonnes of additional carbon dioxide emissions via this irrigated
agriculture proposal; (t) if yes to (s),
when was the Federal Environment Minister advised; (u) when
does the Minister expect the Government to refer this proposal for assessment
under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act); (v) does
any of the 10 million or so hectares under consideration by the Government for
intensive irrigation fall within any of the below categories and, if so, in each
case, what area, in hectares, is involved: (i) former
pastoral properties purchased by the Department for Conservation and Land Management (CALM), Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) for transfer to the conservation
estate; (ii) current
conservation reserve of any kind; (iii) Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
or CALM/DEC/DPaW proposed conservation reserve; for example Red Book or subsequent
recommended areas; (iv) national
heritage-listed areas, such as the Fitzroy River; (v) the
Great Western Woodlands; (vi) areas
identified by Tourism Western Australia or the tourism industry as having
significant and strategic tourism and aesthetic values, for example widely promoted regional
wildflower tourism destinations; and (vii) areas
known to be at risk of serious and repeated flooding as mapped or otherwise
documented by the Department of Water or other responsible state or federal government
agencies; (w) what
legal protections does the Minister expect the Government will put in place to
ensure the public is protected from liability if areas identified by the
Government for conversion to freehold and/or intensive irrigation subsequently
fail due to flooding, inadequate soils, insufficient sustainable water supplies,
in quality or quantity, attack by known pests and diseases or lack of
adequate supporting infrastructure; (x) to
the best of the Minister’s knowledge, do any of the 10 million hectares of
potential irrigation land rely on the construction of new dams on any rivers or
other major watercourses; and (y) if yes to (x), which rivers or other major watercourses, by region, have been identified
as having potential dam sites?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
13 October 2015
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
The Minister for Environment has provided the following response.
(a) Up to 10 million hectares of land was identified as potentially suitable for irrigated agriculture in the State Water Strategy Irrigation Review Final Report published in July 2005.
There is no development proposal to develop 10 million hectares of land across Western Australia's rangelands.
(b) This question should be referred to the Minister for Water. I understand this question has been directed to the Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Water under Legislative Council Question on Notice 3371.
(c)-(e) Without a development proposal, I am unable to advise on any area of native vegetation nor related studies.
(f)-(g) Not applicable
(h)-(i) No as there is no proposal to be referred.
(j) Development proposals must comply with statutory requirements, including the native vegetation clearing provisions of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986.
(k) Not applicable
(l) There is no development proposal to develop 10 million hectares of land across Western Australia's rangelands.
(m) No
(n) Not applicable
(o) There is no development proposal on which to base an economic analysis of the carbon emissions arising from clearing of native vegetation or impacts on the regional tourism industry.
(p) Yes
(q) There is no development proposal to clear 10 million hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia's rangelands.
(r) Not applicable
(s) There is no development proposal to clear 10 million hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia's rangelands.
(t) Not applicable
(u) Any irrigated agriculture development proposal will need to comply with all relevant Commonwealth Government statutory approvals processes, including the
Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
as relevant.
(v) (i-vii) There is no development proposal to convert 10 million hectares to intensive irrigation.
(w)-(y) There is currently no development proposal. Any irrigated agriculture development proposal will need to comply with all statutory approvals processes.
(a) Up to 10 million hectares of land was identified as potentially suitable for irrigated agriculture in the State Water Strategy Irrigation Review Final Report published in July 2005.
There is no development proposal to develop 10 million hectares of land across Western Australia's rangelands.
(b) This question should be referred to the Minister for Water. I understand this question has been directed to the Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Water under Legislative Council Question on Notice 3371.
(c)-(e) Without a development proposal, I am unable to advise on any area of native vegetation nor related studies.
(f)-(g) Not applicable
(h)-(i) No as there is no proposal to be referred.
(j) Development proposals must comply with statutory requirements, including the native vegetation clearing provisions of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986.
(k) Not applicable
(l) There is no development proposal to develop 10 million hectares of land across Western Australia's rangelands.
(m) No
(n) Not applicable
(o) There is no development proposal on which to base an economic analysis of the carbon emissions arising from clearing of native vegetation or impacts on the regional tourism industry.
(p) Yes
(q) There is no development proposal to clear 10 million hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia's rangelands.
(r) Not applicable
(s) There is no development proposal to clear 10 million hectares of native vegetation across Western Australia's rangelands.
(t) Not applicable
(u) Any irrigated agriculture development proposal will need to comply with all relevant Commonwealth Government statutory approvals processes, including the
Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
as relevant.
(v) (i-vii) There is no development proposal to convert 10 million hectares to intensive irrigation.
(w)-(y) There is currently no development proposal. Any irrigated agriculture development proposal will need to comply with all statutory approvals processes.
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