❓ A parliamentary question addresses the cause of smoke haze over Perth, attributed to prescribed burns near North Dandalup, aimed at increasing water runoff. The Minister highlights the importance of these burns amidst water scarcity and funding concerns.
AnsweredQoN 293Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister explain why there has been a smoke haze across the city for much of the day? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Anyone who was in the Parliamentary Library this morning and faced east would have seen a significant smoke haze over the city. I am advised by the Department of Conservation and Land Management that it is likely that the haze resulted from the prescribed burning program. Burns were undertaken in the Dwellingup, Collie and Harvey areas yesterday. However, the most likely cause of the haze we can see has been pinpointed to North Dandalup. The prescribed burn is being undertaken in Wilson block adjacent to the North Dandalup Dam. Forecasts had indicated that there would not be an impact on Perth but, with a change in the breezes overnight, some haze drifted over the city early this morning. Although I appreciate people are concerned about that haze, and there have been calls to my office, the burn was completed for good reason. The burn had been planned by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the Perth hills district, and the Water Corporation, and had been scheduled for a number of years but was a low priority. However, the burn was brought forward to reduce the litter on the forest floor in that area and also increase the run-off into water storage. Given our current water situation, that is a consideration. Similar burns will also be held in the forested water catchment close to the Canning Dam. It is anticipated that additional burns being undertaken this year will result in an extra 100 to 200 megalitres of water flowing into the catchment. As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. Anyone who was in the Parliamentary Library this morning and faced east would have seen a significant smoke haze over the city. I am advised by the Department of Conservation and Land Management that it is likely that the haze resulted from the prescribed burning program. Burns were undertaken in the Dwellingup, Collie and Harvey areas yesterday. However, the most likely cause of the haze we can see has been pinpointed to North Dandalup. The prescribed burn is being undertaken in Wilson block adjacent to the North Dandalup Dam. Forecasts had indicated that there would not be an impact on Perth but, with a change in the breezes overnight, some haze drifted over the city early this morning. Although I appreciate people are concerned about that haze, and there have been calls to my office, the burn was completed for good reason. The burn had been planned by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the Perth hills district, and the Water Corporation, and had been scheduled for a number of years but was a low priority. However, the burn was brought forward to reduce the litter on the forest floor in that area and also increase the run-off into water storage. Given our current water situation, that is a consideration. Similar burns will also be held in the forested water catchment close to the Canning Dam. It is anticipated that additional burns being undertaken this year will result in an extra 100 to 200 megalitres of water flowing into the catchment. As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
I thank the member for the question. Anyone who was in the Parliamentary Library this morning and faced east would have seen a significant smoke haze over the city. I am advised by the Department of Conservation and Land Management that it is likely that the haze resulted from the prescribed burning program. Burns were undertaken in the Dwellingup, Collie and Harvey areas yesterday. However, the most likely cause of the haze we can see has been pinpointed to North Dandalup. The prescribed burn is being undertaken in Wilson block adjacent to the North Dandalup Dam. Forecasts had indicated that there would not be an impact on Perth but, with a change in the breezes overnight, some haze drifted over the city early this morning. Although I appreciate people are concerned about that haze, and there have been calls to my office, the burn was completed for good reason. The burn had been planned by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the Perth hills district, and the Water Corporation, and had been scheduled for a number of years but was a low priority. However, the burn was brought forward to reduce the litter on the forest floor in that area and also increase the run-off into water storage. Given our current water situation, that is a consideration. Similar burns will also be held in the forested water catchment close to the Canning Dam. It is anticipated that additional burns being undertaken this year will result in an extra 100 to 200 megalitres of water flowing into the catchment. As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. Anyone who was in the Parliamentary Library this morning and faced east would have seen a significant smoke haze over the city. I am advised by the Department of Conservation and Land Management that it is likely that the haze resulted from the prescribed burning program. Burns were undertaken in the Dwellingup, Collie and Harvey areas yesterday. However, the most likely cause of the haze we can see has been pinpointed to North Dandalup. The prescribed burn is being undertaken in Wilson block adjacent to the North Dandalup Dam. Forecasts had indicated that there would not be an impact on Perth but, with a change in the breezes overnight, some haze drifted over the city early this morning. Although I appreciate people are concerned about that haze, and there have been calls to my office, the burn was completed for good reason. The burn had been planned by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the Perth hills district, and the Water Corporation, and had been scheduled for a number of years but was a low priority. However, the burn was brought forward to reduce the litter on the forest floor in that area and also increase the run-off into water storage. Given our current water situation, that is a consideration. Similar burns will also be held in the forested water catchment close to the Canning Dam. It is anticipated that additional burns being undertaken this year will result in an extra 100 to 200 megalitres of water flowing into the catchment. As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
I thank the member for the question. Anyone who was in the Parliamentary Library this morning and faced east would have seen a significant smoke haze over the city. I am advised by the Department of Conservation and Land Management that it is likely that the haze resulted from the prescribed burning program. Burns were undertaken in the Dwellingup, Collie and Harvey areas yesterday. However, the most likely cause of the haze we can see has been pinpointed to North Dandalup. The prescribed burn is being undertaken in Wilson block adjacent to the North Dandalup Dam. Forecasts had indicated that there would not be an impact on Perth but, with a change in the breezes overnight, some haze drifted over the city early this morning. Although I appreciate people are concerned about that haze, and there have been calls to my office, the burn was completed for good reason. The burn had been planned by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the Perth hills district, and the Water Corporation, and had been scheduled for a number of years but was a low priority. However, the burn was brought forward to reduce the litter on the forest floor in that area and also increase the run-off into water storage. Given our current water situation, that is a consideration. Similar burns will also be held in the forested water catchment close to the Canning Dam. It is anticipated that additional burns being undertaken this year will result in an extra 100 to 200 megalitres of water flowing into the catchment. As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
As we discussed yesterday, the Government remains concerned about CALM’s rate of prescribed burning, which is around 60 per cent behind what it had anticipated. CALM will continue to do burns and bring forward burns such as this to protect the community. A measure of the seriousness with which we view this problem can be seen in the announcement by the Premier last Sunday, in which $1.3 million was put into extra firefighting capacity. I reiterate what has been said in this House previously, that the Government is very concerned that the federal Government is not paying attention to the western side of the continent. We know that our state colleagues are concerned about this issue, but we ask them to please keep pressing their federal colleagues to ensure more of the money going to the eastern coast comes to Western Australia to tackle our very serious burning issue. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
The SPEAKER: Order! It is very disturbing when the interjections have nothing do with the question and the arguments across the Chamber prohibit the calling of the next question. I ask members on both sides to desist.
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