❓ Dr. Edwards questions the Minister for the Environment regarding the identification and management of catchments with high salt risk under the Forest Management Plan. The Minister confirms agreements are in place and provides references to relevant documents.
AnsweredQoN 322Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
322. Dr EDWARDS to the Minister for the Environment:
(1) Further to the Ministerial Statement of 24 December 1992 relating to Forest Management Plans and clause 16, which catchments have been nominated as having a high salt risk?
(2) Has the Department of Conservation and Land Management reached agreement with the Water and Rivers Commission regarding the precautionary management and protection measures to be implemented?
(3) If no, when will this be finalised?
(4) If yes, will the Minister table the details of this agreement?
(1) Further to the Ministerial Statement of 24 December 1992 relating to Forest Management Plans and clause 16, which catchments have been nominated as having a high salt risk?
(2) Has the Department of Conservation and Land Management reached agreement with the Water and Rivers Commission regarding the precautionary management and protection measures to be implemented?
(3) If no, when will this be finalised?
(4) If yes, will the Minister table the details of this agreement?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 November 2000
Response time
104 days
The Minister Replied:
The effect of timber harvesting on salinity has been the subject of a large amount of research over more than three decades. This research has shown timber harvesting, with appropriate safeguards, can be undertaken without substantial or prolonged impacts on stream salinity. This is in contrast to the hydrologic impacts of agricultural practices, where research has shown that large increases in stream salinity follow the permanent clearing of native forest. The safeguards that are in place to protect streams from the possibility of increases in salinity include reserves around all streams, buffers around the edge of reservoirs, limits on the timing and intensity of harvesting and ensuring the effective regeneration of the forest.
No forest stream has become saline as a result of timber harvesting in State forest, even though these forests have been used to provide timber for 150 years.
(1) Condition 16 of the Environmental Conditions applicable to the Forest Management Plan 1994-2003 (of 24 December 1992) requires the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), on advice of the Water Authority of Western Australia, to identify second order catchments with a high salt risk. The second order catchments of streams that are environmentally sensitive to rises in saline groundwater which have been nominated under Ministerial Condition 16 are shown in Map 2 of Appendix 18 of CALM's 1997 Progress and Compliance Report on the implementation of the Conditions. This document was made available for public comment by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in January 1998.
(2) Yes. Agreement was reached in December 1997.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) The Record of Agreement is reproduced in Appendix 18 of CALM's 1997 Progress and Compliance Report on the implementation of the Conditions (made available for public comment by the EPA in January 1998). A copy of the Agreement and the accompanying maps is tabled.
The effect of timber harvesting on salinity has been the subject of a large amount of research over more than three decades. This research has shown timber harvesting, with appropriate safeguards, can be undertaken without substantial or prolonged impacts on stream salinity. This is in contrast to the hydrologic impacts of agricultural practices, where research has shown that large increases in stream salinity follow the permanent clearing of native forest. The safeguards that are in place to protect streams from the possibility of increases in salinity include reserves around all streams, buffers around the edge of reservoirs, limits on the timing and intensity of harvesting and ensuring the effective regeneration of the forest.
No forest stream has become saline as a result of timber harvesting in State forest, even though these forests have been used to provide timber for 150 years.
(1) Condition 16 of the Environmental Conditions applicable to the Forest Management Plan 1994-2003 (of 24 December 1992) requires the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), on advice of the Water Authority of Western Australia, to identify second order catchments with a high salt risk. The second order catchments of streams that are environmentally sensitive to rises in saline groundwater which have been nominated under Ministerial Condition 16 are shown in Map 2 of Appendix 18 of CALM's 1997 Progress and Compliance Report on the implementation of the Conditions. This document was made available for public comment by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in January 1998.
(2) Yes. Agreement was reached in December 1997.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) The Record of Agreement is reproduced in Appendix 18 of CALM's 1997 Progress and Compliance Report on the implementation of the Conditions (made available for public comment by the EPA in January 1998). A copy of the Agreement and the accompanying maps is tabled.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.