❓ Mr. Taylor asks the Minister for Environment how the new Biodiversity Conservation Bill differs from the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. The Minister outlines key differences including listing threatened ecological communities, critical habitat, increased penalties, marine mammal protection, and sandalwood provisions.
AnsweredQoN 1028Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BIODIVERSITY
CONSERVATION BILL — ELECTION COMMITMENT
1028. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Environment:
I was very pleased to
see the introduction of new biodiversity legislation in this place earlier
today, delivering on a Liberal Party election commitment and achieving what has
been a long-held ambition of Western Australian governments for many years. Can
the minister please tell the house how this legislation will be different from
the current Wildlife Conservation Act 1950?
CONSERVATION BILL — ELECTION COMMITMENT
1028. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Environment:
I was very pleased to
see the introduction of new biodiversity legislation in this place earlier
today, delivering on a Liberal Party election commitment and achieving what has
been a long-held ambition of Western Australian governments for many years. Can
the minister please tell the house how this legislation will be different from
the current Wildlife Conservation Act 1950?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for Bateman for the question. This government's track record in
conservation outcomes is far, far stronger than perhaps it gets credit for. In
fact, since coming into government seven years ago, the government has been
progressively rolling out a broad, bold plan for conservation outcomes across
the length and breadth of Western Australia. That includes everything from the
$81.5 million Kimberley science and conservation strategy in the north; a 2.5 times
expansion of our marine park estate; the creation in the Kimberley of the
largest terrestrial national park in Australia, funded through the science and
conservation strategy; all the way down to the south and the Fitzgerald River
National Park, where we spent $40 million in just one national park alone for
infrastructure upgrades. This plan has been progressively rolled out by this Liberal–National
government and has entailed some legislative change. Updating the existing
Wildlife Conservation Act has been the Holy Grail of conservation legislation
change for not only this government, which it committed to in 2013, but also
every previous government going right back to the 1980s. The Wildlife
Conservation Act is an act from 1950. It is the oldest piece of conservation
legislation in the commonwealth. It is 65 years old and well and truly overdue
for renewal.
As committed, today
the government has had the opportunity to bring a new bill into this house. The
Biodiversity Conservation Bill 2015 now includes, as opposed to a
species-by-species approach, the ability to list threatened ecological
communities in line with modern expectations for a conservation bill.
Importantly, it also has the capacity to list critical habitat. The bill
contains significant extra penalties to ensure that we have the enforcement
mechanisms necessary to protect Western Australia's biodiversity.
Penalties in the existing Wildlife Conservation Act of between $4 000 and $10 000
as a maximum, now go out to some $500 000 for infringements that affect not
only critically endangered animals, but also whales, dolphins and other
cetaceans.
Also as committed, this legislation includes special
protection for our marine mammals and, irrespective of their threat listing
category, it ensures that they are afforded the highest level of protection.
Mr C.J. Tallentire :
Does it cover sharks?
Mr A.P. JACOB : It
covers all animals, member for Gosnells, and I look forward to going through it
in greater detail.
As also committed, the sandalwood provisions have been rolled
into this legislation. The Sandalwood Act 1929 contains a maximum penalty of
$200 for smuggling sandalwood. This bill will include penalties to the extent
of $200 000 for an individual and up to $1 million for a corporation. It is a
modern approach to conservation legislation as opposed to necessarily always
being punitive. It also includes opportunities to encourage and facilitate
private conservation efforts. We have deliberately brought it into this house
in the last week of sitting so that those who have an interest in it, from
industry groups to land managers or farmers and green groups and conservation
groups, will have an opportunity to consider it over the summer break. We will
offer briefings in the new year for all those who are interested.
It is a momentous day for conservation legislation, something
that has been attempted since the 1980s. It is this Liberal–National
government that has brought this bill into the house today, less than three
years after committing to do so.
for Bateman for the question. This government's track record in
conservation outcomes is far, far stronger than perhaps it gets credit for. In
fact, since coming into government seven years ago, the government has been
progressively rolling out a broad, bold plan for conservation outcomes across
the length and breadth of Western Australia. That includes everything from the
$81.5 million Kimberley science and conservation strategy in the north; a 2.5 times
expansion of our marine park estate; the creation in the Kimberley of the
largest terrestrial national park in Australia, funded through the science and
conservation strategy; all the way down to the south and the Fitzgerald River
National Park, where we spent $40 million in just one national park alone for
infrastructure upgrades. This plan has been progressively rolled out by this Liberal–National
government and has entailed some legislative change. Updating the existing
Wildlife Conservation Act has been the Holy Grail of conservation legislation
change for not only this government, which it committed to in 2013, but also
every previous government going right back to the 1980s. The Wildlife
Conservation Act is an act from 1950. It is the oldest piece of conservation
legislation in the commonwealth. It is 65 years old and well and truly overdue
for renewal.
As committed, today
the government has had the opportunity to bring a new bill into this house. The
Biodiversity Conservation Bill 2015 now includes, as opposed to a
species-by-species approach, the ability to list threatened ecological
communities in line with modern expectations for a conservation bill.
Importantly, it also has the capacity to list critical habitat. The bill
contains significant extra penalties to ensure that we have the enforcement
mechanisms necessary to protect Western Australia's biodiversity.
Penalties in the existing Wildlife Conservation Act of between $4 000 and $10 000
as a maximum, now go out to some $500 000 for infringements that affect not
only critically endangered animals, but also whales, dolphins and other
cetaceans.
Also as committed, this legislation includes special
protection for our marine mammals and, irrespective of their threat listing
category, it ensures that they are afforded the highest level of protection.
Mr C.J. Tallentire :
Does it cover sharks?
Mr A.P. JACOB : It
covers all animals, member for Gosnells, and I look forward to going through it
in greater detail.
As also committed, the sandalwood provisions have been rolled
into this legislation. The Sandalwood Act 1929 contains a maximum penalty of
$200 for smuggling sandalwood. This bill will include penalties to the extent
of $200 000 for an individual and up to $1 million for a corporation. It is a
modern approach to conservation legislation as opposed to necessarily always
being punitive. It also includes opportunities to encourage and facilitate
private conservation efforts. We have deliberately brought it into this house
in the last week of sitting so that those who have an interest in it, from
industry groups to land managers or farmers and green groups and conservation
groups, will have an opportunity to consider it over the summer break. We will
offer briefings in the new year for all those who are interested.
It is a momentous day for conservation legislation, something
that has been attempted since the 1980s. It is this Liberal–National
government that has brought this bill into the house today, less than three
years after committing to do so.
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