❓ The Minister for Environment outlines the government's commitments to national and marine parks, including funding for the Kimberley, improvements to camping facilities, a new department of parks and wildlife, and a new biodiversity conservation act.
AnsweredQoN 31Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL AND MARINE PARKS
31. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the Minister for Environment:
During the election, the Liberal Party built on our solid
environmental credentials and made further commitments to responsibly manage
and conserve our pristine environment. As a member of Parliament with a keen
environmental focus, I ask: will the minister provide details on the state government's
commitments in relation to our national and marine park networks?
31. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the Minister for Environment:
During the election, the Liberal Party built on our solid
environmental credentials and made further commitments to responsibly manage
and conserve our pristine environment. As a member of Parliament with a keen
environmental focus, I ask: will the minister provide details on the state government's
commitments in relation to our national and marine park networks?
AnswerView source ↗
I start by congratulating the member for Bateman on his
election to this house. I also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election
to the chair.
The Liberal–National government is incredibly proud
of its environmental achievements, particularly over the last term of
government, and our intention going forward is to build strongly on this
legacy. Our legacy stands no more firm than it does in the significant work
that has been undertaken in the Kimberley in the last four and a half years. We
have committed, and provided, $63 million to the Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. That is unprecedented environmental funding to that part
of the world. Going forward, there is a further commitment of $15 million to
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy, which will take the total
funds in that program to $78 million. Two marine parks have already been
established, at Eighty Mile Beach and at Camden Sound, and we will be further
extending marine protection north and east, all the way out to the Northern
Territory border. Very importantly, and very topical recently, has been the
protection of the iconic Horizontal Falls as both a national park and a marine
park. The Liberal–National government's commitment to the
Kimberley Wandjina national park will create one of Australia's largest
national parks. That is significant work that is happening in the Kimberley.
If I can move away from the north for a second and look
around the state, there is a commitment from the Liberal–National
government for a further $20 million that will be invested to improve low-cost
camping facilities in our south west and midwest parks. One of my earliest acts
as the new environment minister has been to get out and see some of these
camping grounds, as I have seen many of these camping grounds over the years as
a young man in this state. One that I went to is in the member for Collie–Preston's
electorate, Honeymoon Pool. That is a fantastic example of the sorts of
facilities that we want to be providing, particularly across the south west and
midwest of this state, to encourage people from Perth and around Western
Australia to take a drive for a couple of hours and get out and enjoy our
magnificent national parks and our nature gems that are out there, and also to
enjoy these low-cost and affordable facilities in an environmentally
responsible way.
Ms
M.M. Quirk : You are expending a lot of greenhouse gas, minister!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Thanks, member!
Also, I think that ties in very well
with the Minister for Tourism's ''Holiday at Home''
message.
Significantly, as was announced last week, a new department
of parks and wildlife will be established from the split of the current
Department of Environment and Conservation. This new department of parks and
wildlife will have a particularly strong focus, again, on parks, conservation
and land management across the state of Western Australia.
One of our other commitments in the south west is that $3 million
will be provided, member for Bunbury, to boost scientific and conservation
efforts in and around Leschenault Estuary and Inlet. We have already met on
site and discussed that a bit further. Some very exciting work will be
happening around that.
One very significant commitment that the Liberal–National
government has made, and one issue that has been kicked around this place for a
very long time, is the need to bring in a new biodiversity conservation act. We
will be introducing this to improve the protection of this state's
special flora and fauna, and our ecological communities, and to enhance our
national and marine parks for future generations. Members may not realise that
the current Wildlife Conservation Act is an act from 1950. It is an act that is
almost 60 years old, and it certainly operates like an act that is almost 60
years old.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : No,
member! I will give a couple of examples —
The SPEAKER :
Minister, will you please wind up now?
Mr A.P. JACOB : Yes,
Mr Speaker.
Several opposition members interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Members, this is quite significant. Current penalties under the Wildlife
Conservation Act range from between only $4 000 to $10 000 for taking
threatened or protected flora or fauna species in this state. Those penalties
do not apply in this modern world or conform to modern environmental values.
Under the new biodiversity conservation act, these penalties will be taken up
to half a million dollars, and there will be many other improvements.
election to this house. I also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your election
to the chair.
The Liberal–National government is incredibly proud
of its environmental achievements, particularly over the last term of
government, and our intention going forward is to build strongly on this
legacy. Our legacy stands no more firm than it does in the significant work
that has been undertaken in the Kimberley in the last four and a half years. We
have committed, and provided, $63 million to the Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. That is unprecedented environmental funding to that part
of the world. Going forward, there is a further commitment of $15 million to
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy, which will take the total
funds in that program to $78 million. Two marine parks have already been
established, at Eighty Mile Beach and at Camden Sound, and we will be further
extending marine protection north and east, all the way out to the Northern
Territory border. Very importantly, and very topical recently, has been the
protection of the iconic Horizontal Falls as both a national park and a marine
park. The Liberal–National government's commitment to the
Kimberley Wandjina national park will create one of Australia's largest
national parks. That is significant work that is happening in the Kimberley.
If I can move away from the north for a second and look
around the state, there is a commitment from the Liberal–National
government for a further $20 million that will be invested to improve low-cost
camping facilities in our south west and midwest parks. One of my earliest acts
as the new environment minister has been to get out and see some of these
camping grounds, as I have seen many of these camping grounds over the years as
a young man in this state. One that I went to is in the member for Collie–Preston's
electorate, Honeymoon Pool. That is a fantastic example of the sorts of
facilities that we want to be providing, particularly across the south west and
midwest of this state, to encourage people from Perth and around Western
Australia to take a drive for a couple of hours and get out and enjoy our
magnificent national parks and our nature gems that are out there, and also to
enjoy these low-cost and affordable facilities in an environmentally
responsible way.
Ms
M.M. Quirk : You are expending a lot of greenhouse gas, minister!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Thanks, member!
Also, I think that ties in very well
with the Minister for Tourism's ''Holiday at Home''
message.
Significantly, as was announced last week, a new department
of parks and wildlife will be established from the split of the current
Department of Environment and Conservation. This new department of parks and
wildlife will have a particularly strong focus, again, on parks, conservation
and land management across the state of Western Australia.
One of our other commitments in the south west is that $3 million
will be provided, member for Bunbury, to boost scientific and conservation
efforts in and around Leschenault Estuary and Inlet. We have already met on
site and discussed that a bit further. Some very exciting work will be
happening around that.
One very significant commitment that the Liberal–National
government has made, and one issue that has been kicked around this place for a
very long time, is the need to bring in a new biodiversity conservation act. We
will be introducing this to improve the protection of this state's
special flora and fauna, and our ecological communities, and to enhance our
national and marine parks for future generations. Members may not realise that
the current Wildlife Conservation Act is an act from 1950. It is an act that is
almost 60 years old, and it certainly operates like an act that is almost 60
years old.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : No,
member! I will give a couple of examples —
The SPEAKER :
Minister, will you please wind up now?
Mr A.P. JACOB : Yes,
Mr Speaker.
Several opposition members interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Members, this is quite significant. Current penalties under the Wildlife
Conservation Act range from between only $4 000 to $10 000 for taking
threatened or protected flora or fauna species in this state. Those penalties
do not apply in this modern world or conform to modern environmental values.
Under the new biodiversity conservation act, these penalties will be taken up
to half a million dollars, and there will be many other improvements.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.