❓ Opposition questions the government's decision to weaken biodiversity protection laws on private land, citing potential environmental damage and economic consequences for farmers. The Minister defends the changes as fulfilling an election commitment to reduce red tape for farmers.
AnsweredQoN 890Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
890. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to today's Government Gazette and the minister's proposed weakening of
laws designed to protect biodiversity on privately-owned land. The minister is
granting permission to destroy five hectares per year per property without any
control.
(1) Has not
clearing native vegetation been the major destroyer of biodiversity in the
south west and agricultural regions of Western Australia?
(2) Is it not
the case that Western Australian farmers already forgo $344 million every year
from land lost to salinity and that up to 4.5 million hectares of productive
agricultural land is currently under threat?
(3) Given that
there are conservatively 4 500 farming business in Western Australia, does this
not mean that an extra 18 000 hectares can be cleared each year, thereby
exacerbating the situation?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not want to hear any comments.
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Treasurer!
890. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to today's Government Gazette and the minister's proposed weakening of
laws designed to protect biodiversity on privately-owned land. The minister is
granting permission to destroy five hectares per year per property without any
control.
(1) Has not
clearing native vegetation been the major destroyer of biodiversity in the
south west and agricultural regions of Western Australia?
(2) Is it not
the case that Western Australian farmers already forgo $344 million every year
from land lost to salinity and that up to 4.5 million hectares of productive
agricultural land is currently under threat?
(3) Given that
there are conservatively 4 500 farming business in Western Australia, does this
not mean that an extra 18 000 hectares can be cleared each year, thereby
exacerbating the situation?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not want to hear any comments.
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Treasurer!
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
In the first instance, I am very proud of the changes announced today, as they
meet an election commitment that this government made in the lead-up to the
2013 election from my predecessor the former Minister for Environment, and also
from the Premier. These are in the first instance only the regulatory changes.
I am foreshadowing again today that there will be subsequent legislative
amendments in that space to also fulfil that election commitment.
This change today will reduce the
red tape and the administrative burden that is placed on landowners and farmers
in being able to manage their own land, which many of them have managed for
generations, freeing them up to do what they do best, which for the most part
is growing our food. At the same time, these changes will not result in any
negative impact on the environment.
Two key changes have been gazetted
today. The first is the extension of what has been known as the 10-year rule,
which is where landowners who had lawful permission to clear their land had up
to 10 years to clear that land; or, if the land had already been cleared and
had subsequently regrown, they had a 10-year time frame to re-clear that land.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Extending that period to 20 years is quite timely, member for Gosnells, because
when these changes were initially gazetted in 2004, there was only a 10-year
rule.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I know that you are passionate about this, but do not
shout out again; ask a supplementary.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Obviously, as we roll into 2014, this means that it will apply only to land
that has already been lawfully cleared under the existing regulations, which
came in under the previous government.
Another key change, and I suspect one that will make a very
big difference in farmers being able to manage their own land, is the increase
from the one-hectare allowance to five hectares. Farming has moved a long way
in the past 10 years. For example, machinery is now bigger. Now farmers will be
able to widen the tracks on their land to up to five hectares, and that will
enable them to get larger combine harvesters onto their paddocks. Also, GPS is
increasingly being used in harvesting and farming operations in paddocks.
Obviously where farmers have had rectilinear paddocks in the past, they will
need to round those edges so that they can use automated farming machinery in
those paddocks. This is all about making life easier for farmers—who I
remind members are enabling us to substantially grow our own food—by
reducing red tape and encouraging them to manage their own land.
This is only the first step in what will be further
amendments to the Environmental Protection Act, by which we hope to remove
elements of criminality in and around this area.
In the first instance, I am very proud of the changes announced today, as they
meet an election commitment that this government made in the lead-up to the
2013 election from my predecessor the former Minister for Environment, and also
from the Premier. These are in the first instance only the regulatory changes.
I am foreshadowing again today that there will be subsequent legislative
amendments in that space to also fulfil that election commitment.
This change today will reduce the
red tape and the administrative burden that is placed on landowners and farmers
in being able to manage their own land, which many of them have managed for
generations, freeing them up to do what they do best, which for the most part
is growing our food. At the same time, these changes will not result in any
negative impact on the environment.
Two key changes have been gazetted
today. The first is the extension of what has been known as the 10-year rule,
which is where landowners who had lawful permission to clear their land had up
to 10 years to clear that land; or, if the land had already been cleared and
had subsequently regrown, they had a 10-year time frame to re-clear that land.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Extending that period to 20 years is quite timely, member for Gosnells, because
when these changes were initially gazetted in 2004, there was only a 10-year
rule.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I know that you are passionate about this, but do not
shout out again; ask a supplementary.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Obviously, as we roll into 2014, this means that it will apply only to land
that has already been lawfully cleared under the existing regulations, which
came in under the previous government.
Another key change, and I suspect one that will make a very
big difference in farmers being able to manage their own land, is the increase
from the one-hectare allowance to five hectares. Farming has moved a long way
in the past 10 years. For example, machinery is now bigger. Now farmers will be
able to widen the tracks on their land to up to five hectares, and that will
enable them to get larger combine harvesters onto their paddocks. Also, GPS is
increasingly being used in harvesting and farming operations in paddocks.
Obviously where farmers have had rectilinear paddocks in the past, they will
need to round those edges so that they can use automated farming machinery in
those paddocks. This is all about making life easier for farmers—who I
remind members are enabling us to substantially grow our own food—by
reducing red tape and encouraging them to manage their own land.
This is only the first step in what will be further
amendments to the Environmental Protection Act, by which we hope to remove
elements of criminality in and around this area.
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