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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 287 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 September 2013 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Question Directed to the: Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Planning
Question Directed to: Hon J.H.D. Day
Parliament: 39 Session: 1


Question

(1) What lands have been purchased for Bush Forever site 275 (Stakehill Wetland)?
(2) How much has been spent on these acquisitions?
(3) How many more properties need to be purchased for Bush Forever site 275?
(4) What is the time frame and budget for the remaining purchases?
(5) Who will be responsible for the management of this site?
(6) Of the land that has been purchased to date, what management has been carried out?
(7) What community and local conservation groups are involved in this management?
(8) How do government agency cut backs affect the management of purchase land?
(9) Will increased revenue from the passing of the Land Tax Amendment Bill 2013 be used to improve the management of Bush Forever site 275?
(10) What changes to the Environmental Management Plan for Stakehill Wetland, December 2010, have taken place?
(11) What review has there been of this management plan?
(12) What input does the local community have in:
(a) fire management;
(b) weed management;
(c) visitor use and access; and
(d) uses outside of the Environmental Management Plan?
(13) What chemical agents are currently been used for weed control?
(14) Are firebreaks being rotary-hoed?
(15) If yes to (14):
(a) what was the previous method used to construct and maintain firebreaks;
(b) were these previous methods less intrusive; and
(c) why has the method changed?
(16) What feral animal control is taking place?
(17) What signage has been erected?
(18) What public infrastructure has been installed?
(19) What methods are being used to guide public use and practices?
(20) What rehabilitation of degraded areas has taken place?



Answered on 22 October 2013

(1) Land purchased for Bush Forever site 275 comprises whole lots and parts of lots as follows:

Whole lots purchased -

· Lot 760 Mandurah Road

· Lot 594 Mandurah Road

· Lot 595 Mandurah Road

· Lot 596 Mandurah Road

· Lot 598 Jarvis Road

· Lot 599 Jarvis Road

· Lot 593 Jarvis Road

· Lot 156 Jarvis Road

· Lot 5 Jarvis Road

· Lot 803 Jarvis Road

· Lot 806 Jarvis Road

· Lot 112 Jarvis Road

· Lot 110 Mandurah Road

· Lot 821 Stakehill Road

· Lot 800 Jarvis Road

· Lot 804 Eighty Road

· Lot 779 Eighty Road


Part lots purchased -

· Lot 732 Sixty Eight Road

· Lot 733 Mandurah Road

· Lot 787 Stakehill Road

· Lot 789 Stakehill Road

· Lot 803 Stakehill Road

· Lot 782 Jarvis Road

· Lot 755 Jarvis Road

· Lot 597 Jarvis Road

· Lot 7 Sixty Eight Road

· Lot 8 Sixty Eight Road

· Lot 9 Sixty Eight Road

· Lot 754 Eighty Road

· Lot 592 Eighty Road

· Lot 919 Eight Road


(2) Expenditure on the above lots, spanning several years, has been approximately $10,903,410.

(3) There are a total of 12 land parcels (comprising some whole and some part lots) remaining to be purchased, being all of the private land located within the Parks and Recreation Reserve boundary termed the 'Everall Line'.

(4) As with all Parks and Recreation sites, the acquisition program for Stakehill has no specified timeframe. Purchases are made according to a variety of priorities plus any owner requests to the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) to purchase their property.

(5) Responsibility for the management of the Stakehill Swamp site currently rests with the WAPC until such time as the land is incorporated into the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park for management by the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

(6) Officers of the Department of Planning, on behalf of the WAPC, have undertaken interim management of Stakehill Swamp over time. The management regime has included fire management, weed control, fencing, rubbish removal, illegal activity control and issues as they have arisen.

(7) While there is no formal community input into management of the site, the WAPC continues to listen to input from local community members and representative groups on the state of the site and input into its control. Final site management will be addressed when the area falls under Department of Parks and Wildlife control and will be enacted via the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park advisory committee. The WAPC is the interim manager of the land and would refer this level of management to an agency with greater expertise in developing and managing regional park management plans.

(8) The funding of management programmes for purchased land continues to meet the requirements of the relevant local government, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and other regulatory bodies as appropriate; within the remit of the WAPC as an interim land manager.

(9) The transfer of management of Stakehill Swamp itself will provide the end of line manager, Department of Parks and Wildlife, with the opportunity to establish a management plan that will attract appropriate funding.

(10) No changes have taken place to the environmental management plan.

(11) A review of the plan is not anticipated, nor is it necessary. The plan was prepared to satisfy the ministerial condition for the MRS amendment to 'Parks and Recreation' from rural land and is an interim document. The review of the Department of Parks and Wildlife management plan for Rockingham Lakes will include the Stakehill land following its incorporation.

(12)(a)-(d) To date there has been no community input to fire management, weed management, visitor use and other uses. These will be addressed when the area falls under Department of Parks and Wildlife control and will be enacted via the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park advisory committee. As noted earlier, the WAPC continues to listen to input from local community members and representative groups on the state of the site and input into its control.

(13) Weed control is undertaken using 'Roundup' (glyphosate).

(14) In response to local government and Department of Fire and Emergency Services requirements, and based on the condition of the property at the time, a bare mineral earth fire break was established.

(15)(a)-(c) Less intrusive development of firebreaks is used on all WAPC properties where appropriate and able to be undertaken. Previous management failed to prevent an outbreak of weed at the start of the season and the WAPC undertook the mineral earth firebreak as a one-off measure. There has been no change in the method of managing firebreaks, and a number of variables are considered prior to firebreaking to determine the best approach for each particular case.

(16) Currently no feral animal control is taking place due to the proximity of private land. No reports of a significant number of feral animals have been provided to the WAPC to date.

(17) No signage has been erected at this time.

(18) No additional public infrastructure has been installed. This will be undertaken following the completion of land acquisition and if there is demonstrated public demand for use of the land for recreational purposes.

(19) There are no methods being used to guide public use and practices at this time. The land is in transition from rural to parks land use and there is low demand for recreational amenity and use at this time. When use increases, access and facilities will be developed in the area in accordance with Department of Parks and Wildlife expectations.

(20) Rehabilitation is currently outside the scope of works planned for the site. This is better addressed once management of the land has passed across to the Department of Parks and Wildlife