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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 697 asked in the Legislative Council on 7 April 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt

Question Directed to the: Minister for Emergency Services representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 41 Session: 1


Question

(1) I refer to the October 2020 review of the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 by Professor Graeme Samuels, that identified chronic underfunding of the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. In a submission to the Samuel review the Wentworth Group of Scientists cited work by Whittle et al (2019) stating that “only 15% of the required funding for target species recovery is currently available” and that “poor allocation of existing funds have further hampered recovery efforts”.

This pattern of downsizing departmental budgets for the environment is evident in every jurisdiction in Australia. Furthermore, funding of environmental programs such as Western Shield and forest recreation programs, formerly managed by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, then by the Department of Environment and Conservation, then by the Department of Parks and Wildlife and now by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction (DBCA), have over the years had their funding partly replaced by donations in cash or kind from private companies. Alcoa is one such company that underwrites these public services (for example, Carnaby Cockatoo artificial breeding refuges) while destroying walking and riding tracks and contributing to the destruction of forest and habitat that endangers the very animals that these programs seek to protect. In this context, I ask:
(a) are records kept of the Government’s annual funding of the following broad categories:
(i) Parks and Wildlife and Public Attractions; and
(ii) Conservation, Biodiversity and Environment;
(b) if yes to (a), can the Minister please table the annual data for each category for at least one of the following time periods:
(i) the last 20 years;
(ii) the last 10 years; and
(iii) the last five years;
(c) if no to (a), why not; and
(d) if no to (b), why not?
(2) In the context of supplementary funding to DBCA activities, I note that DBCA is the body that administers the Bibbulmun track and Alcoa is a company whose mining activities have caused it to be realigned several times since it was opened in 1979. I also note that Alcoa has donated and/or funded new track works, some of which is administered or sponsored by DBCA and some by the Bibblumun Track Foundation whose mission is to “assist” DBCA with manpower and/or funding for track works and maintenance, and I ask:
(a) does DBCA know how many times Alcoa’s bauxite mining has caused the Bibbulmun track to be realigned since it was first opened in 1979;
(b) if yes to (a), will the Minister table documents that show the changes to the track over this time and a summary of key dates and changes;
(c) if no to (a), why not;
(d) can DBCA tabulate its past annual expenditure on maintenance of the Bibbulmun track;
(e) if yes to (d), will the Minister table the annual expenditure data for at least one of the following time periods:
(i) the last 20 years;
(ii) the last 10 years; and
(iii) the last five years;
(f) if no to (d), why not;
(g) can DBCA tabulate the annual contributions of funding and/or services contributed toward maintenance by the Bibbulmun Track foundation over the last 20 years;
(h) if yes to (g), will the Minister table the annual contributions data for at least one of the following time periods:
(i) the last 20 years;
(ii) the last 10 years; and
(iii) the last 5 years;
(i) if no to (g), why not;
(j) does DBCA know how much money was contributed to Bibbulmun track alignment by Alcoa over the last 20 years either directly to DBCA or through the Bibbulmun Track foundation;
(k) if yes to (j), will the Minister table this for at least one of the following time periods:
(i) the last 20 years;
(ii) the last 10 years; and
(iii) the last five years;
(l) if no to (j), why not;
(m) does DBCA keep track of all annual contributions either directly or through secondary foundations by Alcoa in the form of funding and/or services to any and/or all DBCA programs over the last 20 years;
(n) if yes to (m), will Minister table:
(i) the annual contributions data for at least one of the following time periods:
(A) the last 20 years;
(B) the last 10 years; and
(C) the last five years;
(ii) a breakdown of the annual contributions including information identifying which programs received assistance;
(iii) if no to (i), why not; and
(iv) if no to (ii), why not;
(o) does DBCA receive supplementary funding and assistance from other companies and foundations besides Alcoa; and
(p) if yes to (o), will the Minister table the annual funding and assistance data for at least one of the following time periods:
(i) the last 20 years;
(ii) the last 10 years; and
(iii) the last five years?

Answered on 17 May 2022

(1)(a)                   Yes.

 

(1)(b)(iii)              The following table provides the total recurrent cash appropriation to fund programs in the following services:

                            Parks and Wildlife and Public Attractions

·                Visitor Services and Public Programs Provided in the Swan and Canning Riverpark.

·                Visitor Services and Public Program Provided in National Parks and Other Lands and Waters.

Conservation, Biodiversity and Environment

·                Conserving Habitats, Species and Ecological Communities.

·                Implementation of the Forest Management Plan.

·                Prescribed Burning and Fire Management.

·                Bushfire Suppression.

 

Year

Parks and Wildlife and Public Attractions

Conservation, Biodiversity and Environment

Total

2020-21

$64,762,000

$133,738,000

$198,500,000

2019-20

$54,841,000

$130,459,000

$185,300,000

2018-19

$51,722,000

$128,678,000

$180,400,000

2017-18

$64,394,000

$128,006,000

$192,400,000

2016-17

$55,286,000

$131,614,000

$186,900,000

 

(1)(c)-(d)              Not applicable.

 

(2)(a)                         No. Realignment of the Bibbulmun Track may be due to bushfire, prescribed burning, timber harvesting or mining activities. DBCA does not have a record of the number of times that the track has had to be realigned for Alcoa’s bauxite mining activity.

 

(2)(b)                   A significant realignment of the track occurred during 1987 and 1988 between Kalamunda and Dwellingup. Avoidance of planned bauxite mining areas was a consideration in the planning of this realignment, but not the only consideration. Further realignments and improvement works occurred between Kalamunda and Brookton Highway in 1994 and 1995. Avoidance of mining operations and forestry operations was also a consideration in the planning of these realignments.

 

(2)(c)                   See (2)(a).

 

(2)(d)-(e)              The following table provides a summary of expenditure on trails maintenance from various funding sources. Although the financial records are primarily for works on the Bibbulmun Track, they may include works on other trails such as the Munda Biddi Trail as part of funding for bushfire recovery.

 

Year

Total

2020-21

$699,381

2019-20

$434,134

2018-19

$503,682

2017-18

$643,203

2016-17

$1,435,411

 

(2)(f)                    Not applicable.

 

(2)(g)-(h)(iii)        Yes. The following table provides a summary of funds DBCA has provided to the Bibbulmun Track Foundation under a Service Agreement over the last five years.

           

Year

Total

2020-21

$67,000

2019-20

$67,000

2018-19

$67,000

2017-18

$67,000

2016-17

$67,000

 

(2)(i)                    Not applicable.

 

(2)(j)                           No.

 

(2)(k)                   Not applicable.

 

(2)(l)                    Funding arrangements between Alcoa and the Foundation are not for track realignment.

 

(2)(m)                  Yes. Direct contributions to DBCA are set out below.

 

(2)(n)(i)(C)

Year

Alcoa contribution

2021-22

$913,246

2020-21

$5,793,000

2019-20

$7,030,066

2018-19

$5,114,169

2017-18

$4,741,750

 

(2)(n)(ii)              Financial contributions from Alcoa assist in delivering programs in the following services:

·                Visitor Services and Public Programs Provided in the Swan and Canning Riverpark.

·                Conserving Habitats, Species and Ecological Communities.

 

(2)(n)(iii)-(iv)       Not applicable.

 

(2)(o)                   Yes.

 

(2)(p)(iii)

Year

Contributions from companies other than Alcoa

2021-22

$1,507,943

2020-21

$3,306,581

2019-20

$1,984,741

2018-19

$5,683,039

2017-18

$2,902,853