❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding land acquisition for conservation, particularly concerning threatened species and offsets. The Minister provides details on land purchases, habitat rehabilitation, and future plans for expanding the conservation estate.
AnsweredQoN 1221Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Auditor-General’s Rich and Rare:
Conservation of Threatened Species follow-up audit, released in September 2017, and
I ask: (a) will the Minister please provide a list of the 23 instances since 2012 when Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions did not receive the support it needed from other agencies and Ministers to purchase land to add to the conservation estate including, for each item: (i) the name of the property; (ii) the location of the property; (iii) the area of land in hectares; and (iv) the agencies and/or Minister(s) who refused the support; (b) with reference to page 15 of the report, of the 45 parcels of land covering 25,000 hectares that were purchased by the department mostly as offsets to protect Carnaby’s cockatoos, how many parcels, covering how many hectares, were located in the Perth and Peel regions; (c) of the number of parcels purchased as offsets to protect Carnaby’s cockatoos, how many, covering how many hectares, have had, or will have, habitat created, rehabilitated or revegetated on them; (d) does the Minister intend to increase the amount of land held in reserves in Western Australia as a conservation tool; and (e) if yes to (d), how?
Conservation of Threatened Species follow-up audit, released in September 2017, and
I ask: (a) will the Minister please provide a list of the 23 instances since 2012 when Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions did not receive the support it needed from other agencies and Ministers to purchase land to add to the conservation estate including, for each item: (i) the name of the property; (ii) the location of the property; (iii) the area of land in hectares; and (iv) the agencies and/or Minister(s) who refused the support; (b) with reference to page 15 of the report, of the 45 parcels of land covering 25,000 hectares that were purchased by the department mostly as offsets to protect Carnaby’s cockatoos, how many parcels, covering how many hectares, were located in the Perth and Peel regions; (c) of the number of parcels purchased as offsets to protect Carnaby’s cockatoos, how many, covering how many hectares, have had, or will have, habitat created, rehabilitated or revegetated on them; (d) does the Minister intend to increase the amount of land held in reserves in Western Australia as a conservation tool; and (e) if yes to (d), how?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
27 June 2018
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
10 days
(a) Examples were provided for the follow-up audit as evidence of instances where support was not received for the reservation of lands to add to the conservation estate. For several of these examples, support for reservation was conditional on agreement to a depth limit. Some of the reserve proposals have since been progressed or will continue to be negotiated.
(i)-(iii) See tabled paper X.
(iv) The reserve proposals outlined in (i)-(iii) were not progressed as they were not supported by the former Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(b) There was one purchase of 1312 hectares in the Perth region and six purchases totalling 1602 hectares in the Peel region.
(c) None of the properties outlined in (b) were purchased for the primary purpose of having habitat created, rehabilitated or revegetated. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions seeks to acquire existing bushland in good condition. Any incidental areas disturbed by historical use may be rehabilitated as resources permit.
(d) Yes.
(e)The Government is committed to increasing the conservation estate. Immediate priorities include the expansion of Wellington National Park, creation of the Fitzroy River National Park, and creation of conservation reserves over the Buccaneer Archipelago including islands and the fringing reefs. The McGowan Labor Government has funded the establishment of the Preston River to Ocean Regional Park and the Leschenault Regional Park in Bunbury. It has also reserved a 1001-hectare class A reserve addition to Yalgorup National Park in December 2017.
(i)-(iii) See tabled paper X.
(iv) The reserve proposals outlined in (i)-(iii) were not progressed as they were not supported by the former Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(b) There was one purchase of 1312 hectares in the Perth region and six purchases totalling 1602 hectares in the Peel region.
(c) None of the properties outlined in (b) were purchased for the primary purpose of having habitat created, rehabilitated or revegetated. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions seeks to acquire existing bushland in good condition. Any incidental areas disturbed by historical use may be rehabilitated as resources permit.
(d) Yes.
(e)The Government is committed to increasing the conservation estate. Immediate priorities include the expansion of Wellington National Park, creation of the Fitzroy River National Park, and creation of conservation reserves over the Buccaneer Archipelago including islands and the fringing reefs. The McGowan Labor Government has funded the establishment of the Preston River to Ocean Regional Park and the Leschenault Regional Park in Bunbury. It has also reserved a 1001-hectare class A reserve addition to Yalgorup National Park in December 2017.
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