Overview
- The Conservation Council of WA published a report that documents tens of thousands of hectares approved or proposed for native vegetation clearing and warns this scale of loss is driving a biodiversity crisis.
- The council says 51,000 hectares have been approved for clearing with a further 128,000 hectares in new applications and argues those approvals are enabled by weak rules and fast-tracking for industry.
- The report sets out 36 recommendations, including expanding EPA strategic assessments, reviewing the Biodiversity Conservation Act, tightening offsets, enforcing biodiversity audits, and strengthening mine rehabilitation and compliance.
- Authors — working with conservation groups, Aboriginal leaders and specialists — call for enforceable buffer zones and moratoria in local areas where native vegetation cover is critically low and urge a review of prescribed burning that has damaged mature trees.
- If adopted, the reforms could halt some new approvals, force stricter environmental checks on mining and development, and affect communities that rely on native habitat for cultural, recreational and economic values.