❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the environmental impact of Fortescue Metals Group's Christmas Creek mine, specifically regarding vegetation health in relation to groundwater management. The Minister confirms vegetation health trigger levels were amended to include specific criteria for priority flora and vegetation communities.
AnsweredQoN 2796Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Christmas Creek mine operations, the Christmas Creek Water Management Scheme (CCWMS), and to the Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan (VHMMP) related to that Scheme, and I ask:
(a) can the Minister please table the VHMMP, submitted by FMG, prior to the commencement of its aquifer reinjection scheme;
(b) have vegetation health trigger levels been exceeded, at any stage, as a result of the implementation of groundwater abstraction and disposal, since the commencement of the CCWMS;
(c) if yes to (b), can the Minister please table details as to the dates, locations and circumstances in which those trigger levels were exceeded;
(d) if yes to (b), what remediation actions were taken; subsequent to the exceedance of vegetation health trigger levels; and
(e) have vegetation health trigger levels been amended, at any stage, since the commencement of mining at Christmas Creek:
(i) if yes to (e), on what dates; and
(ii) if yes to (e), what were the reasons for amendments to vegetation health trigger levels?
(a) can the Minister please table the VHMMP, submitted by FMG, prior to the commencement of its aquifer reinjection scheme;
(b) have vegetation health trigger levels been exceeded, at any stage, as a result of the implementation of groundwater abstraction and disposal, since the commencement of the CCWMS;
(c) if yes to (b), can the Minister please table details as to the dates, locations and circumstances in which those trigger levels were exceeded;
(d) if yes to (b), what remediation actions were taken; subsequent to the exceedance of vegetation health trigger levels; and
(e) have vegetation health trigger levels been amended, at any stage, since the commencement of mining at Christmas Creek:
(i) if yes to (e), on what dates; and
(ii) if yes to (e), what were the reasons for amendments to vegetation health trigger levels?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 March 2020
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
7 days
(b) No (c) – (d) Not applicable (e) Yes (i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(c) – (d) Not applicable (e) Yes (i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(e) Yes (i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(c) – (d) Not applicable (e) Yes (i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(e) Yes (i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
(i) - (ii) I am advised that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation issued approval for a new Vegetation Health Monitoring and Management Plan on 7 January 2019. The management plan was updated to provide specific trigger and threshold criteria for priority flora species and the health of Mulga, Samphire and Coolibah/River Red Gum vegetation communities across a larger area of the Fortescue Marsh.
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