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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 1139 asked in the Legislative Council on 30 November 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Planning
Parliament: 41 Session: 1


Question

The World class Bush Forever plan and program introduced by the Western Australian Government in December 2000 was planned to be fully implemented in ten years, ie by 2010. While much has been implemented, its implementation remains unfinished, and many sites are not yet being actively managed to maintain their conservation values. Now after 22 years of implementing Bush Forever, I ask:
(a) how many Bush Forever sites that are zoned as parks and recreation are yet to be acquired by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) using funding from the Metropolitan Region Improvement Fund (MRIF);
(b) what are each of these Bush Forever names, numbers, and site areas in hectares;
(c) what is the similar list of Bush Forever sites that have different zoning not parks and recreation and are not yet secured for conservation;
(d) what is the total number and hectares of Bush Forever Areas that are not yet fully secured for the purpose of conservation in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) reserve system;
(e) how many Bush Forever sites are now still owned by the WAPC and have not yet been transferred to Crown reserve status as ‘A’ class nature reserves or as ‘A’ class reserves for the purpose of conservation of nature;
(f) what is the reason that all these WAPC owned sites have not yet been transferred to ‘A’ class reserve status and vested in a suitable conservation land manager, such as the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), or the respective Local Government Authority; and
(g) what is the total land area (in hectares) of all the 287 Bush Forever Areas?

Answered on 14 February 2023

(a)-(b)  Part Lot 38 Great Northern Highway, Bullsbrook – BF No 2; Area 9.6 hectares

Lot 9003 Great Northern Highway, Bullsbrook – BF No 89; Area 14.8 hectares

Lot 1611 Barrett Street, Southern River - BF No 125; Area 6.1 hectares

Lot 1606 Barrett Street, Southern River – BF No 125; Area 6.9 hectares

Lot 1605 Holmes Street, Southern River – BF No 125; Area 6.4 hectares

Lot 5 Kwinana Freeway (Mount Henry peninsula), Salter Point – BF No 227; Area 8.8 hectares

Part Lot 23 Mandogalup Road, Hope Valley – BF No 268; Area 39.9 hectares

Lot 3 Norkett Road, Mandogalup – BF No 268; Area 11.8 hectares

Lot 501 Mandogalup Road, Hope Valley – BF No 268; Area 12.1 hectares

Lot 12 Treeby Road, Anketell – BF No 270; Area 27.2 hectares

Lot 14 Thomas Road, Anketell – BF No 270; Area 36.5 hectares

(c)        A Bush Forever area can have multiple zonings within it. There are approximately 1,600 privately owned lots in the 287 Bush Forever areas that have a zoning other than Parks and Recreation. The Bush Forever Audit 2021 provides the status of every Bush Forever area (refer to the report’s Appendix 1 - Implementation Table), including its zoning.

(d)       It was never intended that all Bush Forever areas would be acquired by the State and reserved for Parks and Recreation. Many Bush Forever areas were identified within a rural zone, where meeting conservation outcomes on private land is an explicit objective of the Bush Forever policy. 

(e)        Approximately 13,400 hectares across the whole or parts of 99 different Bush Forever areas.

(f)        It is not a requirement of the Bush Forever policy for all Bush Forever areas to be made A Class Reserves.

(g)       Approximately 65,500 hectares.