Hon. Robyn McSweeney asks about draft regulations for exemptions to clearing permits for firewood. Hon. Tom Stephens provides drafting instructions and details of stakeholder consultation, hoping to reduce debate.

AnsweredQoN 1221Legislative Council
Asked
10 September 2003
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to question on notice 1133. Will the minister table a copy of the draft regulations under the Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2002 that will provide exemptions from the requirement for a clearing permit for the provision of firewood for the personal use by the owner of the land on which the vegetation is growing? These draft regulations are said to provide certain conditions such as the maximum quantity that may be stored, the size of the wood that may be cut, and the protection of living trees. Hon TOM STEPHENS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of her question. Drafting instructions for the regulations are currently being prepared. Consultation with stakeholders to ensure that the regulations are reasonable and practical has commenced. The consultation process will include discussions with relevant industries and rural interest groups such as the Western Australian Farmers Federation and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association. Although the regulations may still be altered in the consultation process, I will provide the current drafting instructions for the firewood provisions. I supply these in the confident expectation that by the sheer act of providing the drafting instructions, I will reduce the quantum of debate on this particular topic by several days, no doubt - at least I live in hope. Clearing is to be allowed for the purposes of providing firewood for use solely by the owner of the land on which the vegetation was growing or was situated for the purpose of domestic heating or cooking provided that: the clearing does not kill the vegetation and does not prevent regeneration; the firewood could not be obtained from clearing undertaken for other purposes; the quantity of timber provided by the clearing when aggregated with the quantity of timber, if any, previously provided by clearing under this paragraph and not yet used for those purposes, does not exceed six cubic metres; and the provision does not apply to riparian vegetation. This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of her question. Drafting instructions for the regulations are currently being prepared. Consultation with stakeholders to ensure that the regulations are reasonable and practical has commenced. The consultation process will include discussions with relevant industries and rural interest groups such as the Western Australian Farmers Federation and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association. Although the regulations may still be altered in the consultation process, I will provide the current drafting instructions for the firewood provisions. I supply these in the confident expectation that by the sheer act of providing the drafting instructions, I will reduce the quantum of debate on this particular topic by several days, no doubt - at least I live in hope. Clearing is to be allowed for the purposes of providing firewood for use solely by the owner of the land on which the vegetation was growing or was situated for the purpose of domestic heating or cooking provided that: the clearing does not kill the vegetation and does not prevent regeneration; the firewood could not be obtained from clearing undertaken for other purposes; the quantity of timber provided by the clearing when aggregated with the quantity of timber, if any, previously provided by clearing under this paragraph and not yet used for those purposes, does not exceed six cubic metres; and the provision does not apply to riparian vegetation. This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of her question. Drafting instructions for the regulations are currently being prepared. Consultation with stakeholders to ensure that the regulations are reasonable and practical has commenced. The consultation process will include discussions with relevant industries and rural interest groups such as the Western Australian Farmers Federation and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association. Although the regulations may still be altered in the consultation process, I will provide the current drafting instructions for the firewood provisions. I supply these in the confident expectation that by the sheer act of providing the drafting instructions, I will reduce the quantum of debate on this particular topic by several days, no doubt - at least I live in hope. Clearing is to be allowed for the purposes of providing firewood for use solely by the owner of the land on which the vegetation was growing or was situated for the purpose of domestic heating or cooking provided that: the clearing does not kill the vegetation and does not prevent regeneration; the firewood could not be obtained from clearing undertaken for other purposes; the quantity of timber provided by the clearing when aggregated with the quantity of timber, if any, previously provided by clearing under this paragraph and not yet used for those purposes, does not exceed six cubic metres; and the provision does not apply to riparian vegetation. This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.
Drafting instructions for the regulations are currently being prepared. Consultation with stakeholders to ensure that the regulations are reasonable and practical has commenced. The consultation process will include discussions with relevant industries and rural interest groups such as the Western Australian Farmers Federation and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association. Although the regulations may still be altered in the consultation process, I will provide the current drafting instructions for the firewood provisions. I supply these in the confident expectation that by the sheer act of providing the drafting instructions, I will reduce the quantum of debate on this particular topic by several days, no doubt - at least I live in hope. Clearing is to be allowed for the purposes of providing firewood for use solely by the owner of the land on which the vegetation was growing or was situated for the purpose of domestic heating or cooking provided that: the clearing does not kill the vegetation and does not prevent regeneration; the firewood could not be obtained from clearing undertaken for other purposes; the quantity of timber provided by the clearing when aggregated with the quantity of timber, if any, previously provided by clearing under this paragraph and not yet used for those purposes, does not exceed six cubic metres; and the provision does not apply to riparian vegetation. This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.
Clearing is to be allowed for the purposes of providing firewood for use solely by the owner of the land on which the vegetation was growing or was situated for the purpose of domestic heating or cooking provided that: the clearing does not kill the vegetation and does not prevent regeneration; the firewood could not be obtained from clearing undertaken for other purposes; the quantity of timber provided by the clearing when aggregated with the quantity of timber, if any, previously provided by clearing under this paragraph and not yet used for those purposes, does not exceed six cubic metres; and the provision does not apply to riparian vegetation. This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.
This is based on the South Australian Native Vegetation Regulations. I hope that the member finds it of some interest and that the House is spared about three days of debate as a result.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more