Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1566 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 December 2019 by Hon Diane Evers

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

SEDIMENT TASK FORCE

1566. Hon DIANE EVERS to the Minister for Environment:

I refer to the Sediment Task Force, facilitated by Perth Natural Resource Management and funded by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

(1) Is the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation an active participant of this task force, and —

(a) if it is not, why not;

(b) if it is not, was it previously part of the task force; and, if so, why did it cease participating; and

(c) if yes, in what way does the department participate?

(2) Are the minutes of the task force meetings publicly available; and, if not, why not?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is not an active participant in the Sediment Task Force.

(a) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions administers the water quality management arrangements for the Swan–Canning River system, which were formerly the responsibility of the Swan River Trust. This includes the Sediment Task Force, which was originally set up to help implement the trust's water quality improvement plans for the Swan–Canning River system.

(b) DWER was represented on the task force from 2014 to 2017 in relation to water-sensitive urban design. Although there are currently no DWER representatives on the task force, DWER has made a standing offer to provide specialised advice on water-sensitive urban design on request.

(c) Not applicable.

(2) The minutes of the task force meetings are not publicly available. The Sediment Task Force is attended by both government and non-government organisations, including community and industry-based groups. It provides an open forum for stakeholders to share information and develop solutions. Any requests for minutes of meetings would require consent from the organisations represented on the task force.