Jandakot Airport - Clearing of Bushland

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL - Tuesday, 7 September 2010]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Donna Faragher

JANDAKOT AIRPORT — CLEARING OF BUSHLAND
600. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the clearing of bushland at Jandakot Airport that was approved by the federal Minister for the
Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts based on advice from the state government and the
Environmental Protection Authority.
(1) Who is ensuring that clearing is occurring only on the northern boundary, where it was supposed to be
cleared, and that the conservation area is not being cleared?
(2) Who is ensuring that more orchids are not being dug up than approval was given for?
(3) Who is ensuring that proper dieback hygiene management processes are being undertaken?
(4) How much land has been cleared to date?
(5) (a) Where are the offset properties located, and where are the 700 hectares that have already been
found;
(b) where will the additional 900 hectares come from;
(c) who will manage these properties; and
(d) who will fund the management?

Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1)–(3) As Jandakot Airport is commonwealth land, monitoring of environmental approval conditions is the
responsibility of the commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in
accordance with the approval given under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
(4) I am advised by the Department of Environment and Conservation that the commonwealth-approved
first stage of clearing was for 42 hectares and that this clearing has commenced.
(5) (a) I am advised by DEC that a 725-hectare property north of Gingin has been acquired for
conservation.
(b) I understand that negotiations are underway for the purchase of additional property north of
Gingin and investigations are continuing into possible purchases nearer to the airport to
complete the commonwealth government’s offset requirements.
(c) It is proposed that the properties will be managed by DEC.
(d) Under the commonwealth environmental approval, Jandakot Airport Holdings Pty Ltd is
required to provide funding for the purchase and some management of the offset lands. In
addition, DEC has raised with DEWHA the possibility of some ongoing funding for
management being provided by the commonwealth.