Bush Forever sites - management
1935. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Planning
I refer the 287 Bush Forever sites identified nearly a decade ago and I ask —
(1) How many of the Bush Forever sites have an appointed manager?
(2) Please identify those sites and their managers?
(3) How many of the Bush Forever sites have an interim management plan and can the Minister please identify these sites?
(4) Please identify who is responsible for implementing the plan?
(5) How many Bush Forever sites are still waiting for a Manager to be appointed?
(6) What is the time frame for appointing managers for each of the sites still waiting to be finalised?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
(1) Only Bush Forever sites that are in public ownership have a formal management plan (with minor exception to some large developers). The balance of the sites which is estimated to be in excess of 50 per cent by number (as opposed to area) in private ownership, do not have formal management plans. Public owned sites are managed on an interim basis by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) and then are generally transferred onto the Department of Environment and Conservation
(DEC) as the final manager.
(2)-(3) Of the 287 Bush Forever sites identified, 101 amounting to 1,015 hectares have been purchased at a historic cost of in excess of $72 million and are now under government ownership and control. Bush Forever sites are managed by three entities depending on the status of the site:
• Local Authorities generally manage local bushland where the WAPC has undertaken initial management to a suitable level of presentation prior to handover.
• DEC is essentially an end manager where WAPC has undertaken management similar to that required for a local authority and the land falls within a regional park.
• WAPC manages the balance of the sites as an interim manager before hand over to either DEC or a Local Authority.
Management plans are prepared by end managers and interim management undertaken by the WAPC is usually of a remedial nature unless the WAPC is seen as a long term manager where a more comprehensive plan is required.
(4) With respect to public owned sites, interim management usually lies with the WAPC.
(5) All public sites are managed at various levels depending on need and priority. Privately owned sites are generally not managed and the level of care is dependent on the diligence of the landowner.
(6) The sites held in private ownership will remain unmanaged until the land transfers into public ownership. Many privately owned sites are reserved under region schemes. Sale to the government is on a voluntary basis only through negotiated purchase or when a development application is either refused or approved subject to conditions unacceptable to the landowners and the compensation process is 'triggered' and the WAPC elects to purchase.