❓ Question regarding rangeland degradation in WA pastoral leases and the government's response to a concerning report. The Minister acknowledges the issue and outlines actions being taken, including audits, new monitoring methodologies, and increased resources for education and compliance.
AnsweredQoN 1248Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Report to the Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation
on the condition of Western Australian pastoral resource base, 2013 by Dr PE
Novelly and PWE Thomas, which indicates that "on-going rangeland degradation
continues under present management on many leases, and that such management is
therefore not in accordance with section 95 of the Land Administration Act
1997 ," and I ask: (a) will the Minister please provide details of any action that is being undertaken to address this situation, including but not limited to: (i) education of lessees; and (ii) improved
administration of the Land Administration Act 1997 ; (b) if
no action is being undertaken, why not; (c) does
the Minister believe there is some urgency to address this situation as stated
in the report; (d) if
no to (c), why not; (e) as
recommended in the report, is the department developing a compliance program in
conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food, which has components
that focus on: (i) promotion of land management standards required for compliance
with section 108 of the Land Administration Act 1997 ; (ii) monitoring of performance including directives; and (iii) ultimately, enforcement action where management is unwilling to
meet their obligations; (f) if
no to (e), why not; (g) as
recommended in the report, will the department implement well publicised
proactive annual programs of inspection that target specific districts,
outstanding directives or areas of special risk such as stock numbers well
above assessed present carrying capacity; (h) if
no to (g), why not; (i) given
the report states that transitions or virtually permanent changes in rangeland
resource being recorded are particularly worrying and indicative of totally
inappropriate livestock management throughout much of pastoral Western Australia, does the
Minister believe that the Rangeland Condition Monitoring system, whereby
the pastoral lessee is responsible for assessing and reporting on rangeland
conditions on their pastoral leases, is effectively enabling pastoral lessees
to use methods of best pastoral and environmental management practice for the
conservation and regeneration of pasture for grazing; (j) if
yes to (i), please explain how and why; and (k) if
yes to (i), please explain what other factors may be contributing to
transitions?
on the condition of Western Australian pastoral resource base, 2013 by Dr PE
Novelly and PWE Thomas, which indicates that "on-going rangeland degradation
continues under present management on many leases, and that such management is
therefore not in accordance with section 95 of the Land Administration Act
1997 ," and I ask: (a) will the Minister please provide details of any action that is being undertaken to address this situation, including but not limited to: (i) education of lessees; and (ii) improved
administration of the Land Administration Act 1997 ; (b) if
no action is being undertaken, why not; (c) does
the Minister believe there is some urgency to address this situation as stated
in the report; (d) if
no to (c), why not; (e) as
recommended in the report, is the department developing a compliance program in
conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food, which has components
that focus on: (i) promotion of land management standards required for compliance
with section 108 of the Land Administration Act 1997 ; (ii) monitoring of performance including directives; and (iii) ultimately, enforcement action where management is unwilling to
meet their obligations; (f) if
no to (e), why not; (g) as
recommended in the report, will the department implement well publicised
proactive annual programs of inspection that target specific districts,
outstanding directives or areas of special risk such as stock numbers well
above assessed present carrying capacity; (h) if
no to (g), why not; (i) given
the report states that transitions or virtually permanent changes in rangeland
resource being recorded are particularly worrying and indicative of totally
inappropriate livestock management throughout much of pastoral Western Australia, does the
Minister believe that the Rangeland Condition Monitoring system, whereby
the pastoral lessee is responsible for assessing and reporting on rangeland
conditions on their pastoral leases, is effectively enabling pastoral lessees
to use methods of best pastoral and environmental management practice for the
conservation and regeneration of pasture for grazing; (j) if
yes to (i), please explain how and why; and (k) if
yes to (i), please explain what other factors may be contributing to
transitions?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 August 2014
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Lands
Response time
56 days
(a) Section 95 of the
Land Administration Act 1997
(LAA) relates to the functions of the Pastoral Lands Board (PLB). In 2013 the PLB conducted an audit of outstanding compliance issues, which identified that it had issued 364 directives since 2000 in relation to rangeland management. In January 2014 the Minister for Lands advised lessees that 65 of these directives remained unresolved and requested the relevant lessees to provide evidence in relation to any actions that they had undertaken.
More recently, the PLB has endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition, which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. When fully developed, this new methodology will contain both an educational and a monitoring component and will provide an objective basis for any enforcement action that may be taken.
Two additional FTEs have been added to the Pastoral Lands Unit, which assists with the administration of the LAA, since the creation of the Department of Lands on 1 July 2013. The Pastoral Lands Unit currently employs two liaison officers specifically to communicate and educate pastoral leaseholders regarding their obligations to rangeland management. These officers are working directly with lessees to educate them on rangeland management and to resolve any compliance issues that may exist.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Yes
(d) Not applicable.
(e) Yes please refer to part (a).
(f) Not applicable.
(g) No
(h) As indicated at (a), the PLB has recently endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. This methodology will use on ground inspections as an auditing and ground truthing mechanism rather than as a primary assessment tool.
(i) No. The Rangeland Condition Monitoring system is a voluntary monitoring tool, which though educational in nature does not, in and of itself, enable lessees to use methods of best pastoral and environmental management practice. As indicated at (a), the PLB has recently endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition, which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. This new methodology will be designed to assist lessees in understanding how their lease condition is tracking, with the ultimate goal of achieving improved management of rangeland
condition.
(j) Not applicable.
(k) Not applicable.
Land Administration Act 1997
(LAA) relates to the functions of the Pastoral Lands Board (PLB). In 2013 the PLB conducted an audit of outstanding compliance issues, which identified that it had issued 364 directives since 2000 in relation to rangeland management. In January 2014 the Minister for Lands advised lessees that 65 of these directives remained unresolved and requested the relevant lessees to provide evidence in relation to any actions that they had undertaken.
More recently, the PLB has endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition, which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. When fully developed, this new methodology will contain both an educational and a monitoring component and will provide an objective basis for any enforcement action that may be taken.
Two additional FTEs have been added to the Pastoral Lands Unit, which assists with the administration of the LAA, since the creation of the Department of Lands on 1 July 2013. The Pastoral Lands Unit currently employs two liaison officers specifically to communicate and educate pastoral leaseholders regarding their obligations to rangeland management. These officers are working directly with lessees to educate them on rangeland management and to resolve any compliance issues that may exist.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Yes
(d) Not applicable.
(e) Yes please refer to part (a).
(f) Not applicable.
(g) No
(h) As indicated at (a), the PLB has recently endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. This methodology will use on ground inspections as an auditing and ground truthing mechanism rather than as a primary assessment tool.
(i) No. The Rangeland Condition Monitoring system is a voluntary monitoring tool, which though educational in nature does not, in and of itself, enable lessees to use methods of best pastoral and environmental management practice. As indicated at (a), the PLB has recently endorsed in principle a new methodology for monitoring rangelands condition, which combines remote sensing and on ground monitoring. This new methodology will be designed to assist lessees in understanding how their lease condition is tracking, with the ultimate goal of achieving improved management of rangeland
condition.
(j) Not applicable.
(k) Not applicable.
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