RESERVES — SHARK BAY
773. Hon KEN BASTON to the Minister for Environment:
I
refer to the information provided on the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions' website ''Plan for our
Parks'' and to the Gascoyne–Shark Bay region.
(1) Are boundary
plans for proposed reserve additions that will substantially increase the area
of conservation estate within the Shark Bay World Heritage Property finalised?
(2) If yes to
(1), are these boundary plans publicly available; and, if yes, would the
minister please table this information?
(3) Are there
plans to increase the level of Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attractions' staffing in the Shark Bay region?
(4) If yes to (3), how many extra
staff will be required in this region?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The government has provided in-principle approval
for the proposed reserves in the Shark Bay World Heritage Property. The
boundaries will not be finalised until they are negotiated with the native
title parties—Malgana and
Nanda people—as part of the Indigenous land use agreement negotiation
process, as required under the Native Title Act 1993. Broadscale maps of the
proposed reserves are available on the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation
and Attractions' website. I table a more detailed map of the current
boundary.
[See paper 4098.]
(3) There are
plans to increase the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions'
staffing levels within the Shark Bay district.
(4) Preliminary planning for staff indicates that
several positions will be required, including Aboriginal rangers. It is planned to jointly manage the reserves with
the native title parties and therefore the final staff numbers will be
subject to agreement with Malgana and Nanda people.