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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 721 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 May 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Question Directed to the: Minister for Emergency Services representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 1336- View tabled paper


Question

I refer to the Minister for Environment’s response on 9 December 2021 to question on notice 369, in which it is stated that the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee met eight times between 13 February 2018 and 10 June 2021, but “The Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee has not considered formal nominations for assessment, so has not provided advice for the listing of threatened ecological communities under the Biodiversity Conservation Act to the Minister", and I ask:
(a) does the Minister acknowledge that two of the functions of the Threatened Ecological Communities Committee is to provide advice to the Minister on the listings of threatened and collapsed ecological committees, and to provide advice to the Director General of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in respect to research and management needs:
(i) if no to (a), why not;
(b) will the Minister provide copies of records or minutes of the eight meetings between February 2018 to June 2021:
(i) if no to (b), why not;
(c) has the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee provided any correspondence to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions between 1 January 2016 to 8 March 2022, and on what dates, and/or to the Minister for Environment between 1 January 2016 to 8 March 2022, and on what dates:
(i) if yes to (c), will the Minister table this correspondence; and
(ii) if no to (c)(i), why not;
(d) has the Director General of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions corresponded with the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee between 1 July 2016 to 8 March 2022:
(i) if yes to (d), will the Minister table copies of this correspondence; and
(ii) if no to (d)(i), why not; and
(e) has the Executive Director of Science and Conservation in the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions corresponded with the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee between 1 July 2016 to 8 March 2022:
(i) if yes to (e), will the Minister table copies of this correspondence; and
(ii) if no to (e)(i), why not?

Answered on 14 June 2022

(a)     Yes, noting that the second role explicitly refers to “research and management needs arising from the reviews of threatened ecological communities”, as specified in Ministerial Guideline Number 1 Procedures for Making and Assessing Public Nominations for Listing Species or Communities as Threatened Species or Threatened Ecological Communities, and for Listing Key Threatening Processes.

     (i)      Not applicable.

(b)    No.

     (i)    The Minutes of meetings of the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee (TECSC) during the specified period, contain the TECSC’s deliberations on the criteria for listing and available evidence in respect of the threatened ecological communities (TECs) referred to in Environmental Protection (Sensitive Areas) Notice 2015. The minutes do not include the committee’s final recommendations about TEC nominations, which will be made following the outcomes of public consultation being available.

(c)     Yes. A letter from the Chair of the TECSC (Advice to the Minister for Environment from the Threatened Ecological Communities Scientific Committee concerning listing of Threatened and Collapsed Ecological Communities), dated 4 June 2019 was included in Ministerial correspondence on 28 June 2019.

     (i)    Yes. See tabled paper no. XXXX

(d)    No.

     (i)    Not applicable.

     (ii)  Not applicable.

(e)     No.

     (i)    Not applicable.

     (ii)  Not applicable.