Appeals committee appointed for Browse

Ministerial Media Statements

Bill Marmion
Minister for Environment; Water

Portfolio: Environment

• Minister appoints Dr Roy Green to investigate Browse appeals
• Former CSIRO chief executive to prepare report for the Minister

Environment Minister Bill Marmion has appointed Dr Roy Green to investigate more than 200 appeals received regarding the Environmental Protection Authority’s report on the Browse Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Precinct at James Price Point. 

Dr Green has considerable experience in government and the petroleum industry, including chairing an expert panel for quarantine management at the Gorgon LNG Project on Barrow Island Nature Reserve. 

“Dr Green is appointed as an appeals committee and will investigate all appeals received,” Mr Marmion said.

“He has previously been the chief executive of the CSIRO and deputy chairman of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and as such, is considered to have an eminent standing to undertake the committee role.”

The process of investigating the appeals will include consultation with the EPA, appellants and the proponent.  Once the committee has completed its investigations, a report is presented to the Minister, who will determine the appeals having regard to the committee’s advice. 

Appeals against the EPA’s report closed on Monday July 30, 2012.  

      Fact File

• EPA released its report on the Browse proposal on July 16
• EPA recommended the proposal proceeded with strict conditions

Minister’s office - 6552 6800

Trawlers allowed in new Kimberley marine park

ABC News

Conservation groups have heralded the State Government's announcement of Camden Sound Marine Park as a significant win for the Kimberley.

But the Opposition is questioning why trawl fishing will still be allowed.

The park is the first of four to be created in the Kimberley and will cover 7,000 square kilometres of sea and coastline 300 kilometres north of Broome.

The park will cost the State Government $10 million over four years. The other parks will be created at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and the North Kimberley.

The Environment Minister Bill Marmion says a special zone will protect one of the world's biggest whale nurseries, with boats required to stay at least 500 metres away from the animals.

"In that particular special purpose zone, the whale zone we know there is about 1000 whales that calve there between June and November each year so this area will be protected, the conservation values will be protected,' he said.

Almost half the park will be closed to fishing trawlers, while about 20 per cent will be closed to other forms of commercial fishing.

Paul Gamblin from World Wildlife Fund says it is a huge win for conservation.

"We think levels of protection could be increased down the track, but overall we think this is a great plan," he said.

Unhappy

However, the Opposition's environment spokeswoman Sally Talbot disagrees.

"Trawling has no place in a marine park, so it's bitterly disappointing," she said.

"In an area like Camden Sounds, we would have expected an exclusion zone of about 70 per cent. Yet the Barnett Government will only close 23 per cent of the park to commercial fishing."

Ms Talbot says the Government should help the trawl sector move into trap and line fishery.

The state's Fishing Industry Association has questioned the government's commitment to compensating commercial fishermen.

About four north west companies will be banned from fishing commercially in some areas of the marine park.

The government promised compensation would be paid, if appropriate.

The association's chief executive Guy Leyland says those words imply that compensation is conditional.

"Ah we find that comment curious in regard to 'if appropriate'. Frankly, there's a statutory requirement for the government to pay compensation for affected commercial operators who are removed from these areas," he said.

The park will be formally created in the next few months.

Camden Sound Marine Park announced

Portfolio: Premier, Environment

• Premier and Environment Minister announce major marine sanctuary
• Camden Sound Marine Park to be one of WA’s biggest
• Park will protect State’s most important humpback whale calving area

Thousands of humpback whales that annually migrate along the west coast will have increased protection within a new Kimberley marine park to be created by the State Government.

Premier Colin Barnett and Environment Minister Bill Marmion today announced the Government’s decision to create Camden Sound Marine Park, about 300km north-east of Broome.

“Camden Sound, covering nearly 7,000 square kilometres, is the first of four new marine parks to be created under the $63million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.  Other parks will be created at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and the North Kimberley,” Mr Barnett said.

“Creating this marine park reaffirms our election commitment to protect this significant and biologically important region.

“Camden Sound is internationally recognised as the biggest calving area for humpback whales in the southern hemisphere with more than 1,000 humpbacks found there during the calving season.

“They are part of the biggest population of humpback whales in the world - numbering almost 30,000 - that migrate from Antarctica each year to give birth in the waters off the north of our State.”

Mr Marmion said a special purpose zone would be created covering about 1,670 square kilometres to enhance protection of the humpback whale calving grounds.

“This zone will require vessels to remain at least 500m from humpback mothers and calves,” Mr Marmion said.

“There will also be two sanctuary zones comprising about 20 per cent of the marine park area - more than 1,300 square kilometres - around Champagny Islands and Montgomery Reef, which is exposed on the outgoing tide to reveal a series of awe-inspiring waterfalls.

“Montgomery Reef sanctuary zone, at 761 square kilometres, will become the biggest sanctuary zone in the WA marine park system.

“We have also included a small general use zone covering the frequently visited area known as ‘The River’ at Montgomery Reef.  This will allow some fishing and other activities to continue in this area.

“The marine park’s zoning scheme will help protect a unique marine environment, while allowing recreational and commercial fishing as well as aquaculture and pearling to occur.”

For the first time ever in Western Australia, there will be a zone which provides for a ‘wilderness’ fishing experience where recreational fishers (including charter boats) must either catch and release or eat their catch before leaving the zone.  Commercial fishing and other commercial activities will not be permitted nor will spearfishing.

Pearling operations will be recognised in a designated zone and some commercial fishing operations will phased out, with 48 per cent of the marine park closed to commercial trawl fishing and 23 per cent closed to all forms of commercial fishing.  If appropriate, compensation will be paid to affected fishing operations.

Camden Sound Marine Park will contain a range of coral reef communities at Wildcat Reef and in the vicinity of Champagny and Augustus islands.

The marine park will also be home to seagrass and macroalgal communities, extensive mangrove forests of the St George Basin and lower Prince Regent River, tidal flats, and a habitat for dugong, sawfish and dolphins.

The marine park will be jointly managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the traditional owners, including the Dambimangari and Uunguu people.

The Government has committed $10million over four years to protecting and managing Camden Sound Marine Park, with ongoing funding of $2.3million a year from 2015-16.

The marine park will be created by mid-2012 followed by gazettal of the zone boundaries later in the year.

      Fact File

• Camden Sound marine park will have 2 sanctuary zones, 3 special purpose zones and 4 general use zones
• The marine park is one of 4 being created in WA’s Kimberley region under the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy
• Final management plan for Camden Sound Marine Park to be released later this year

Premier’s office - 6552 5000

Environment Minister’s office - 6552 6800

Marine chief cautious on sanctuaries

DANIEL MERCER, The West Australian

Updated December 19, 2011, 4:00 am

Sanctuary zones where all fishing is banned should be considered sparingly and only if there was overwhelming evidence of their need, according to WA's new marine parks adviser.

In his first interview as chairman of the Marine Parks and Reserves Authority, Tom Hatton said there was potential merit in "no-take" zones but they should not affect anglers unfairly.

Dr Hatton, a marine scientist and director at the CSIRO, indicated that he might also support controversial ideas put forward by recreational fishers opposed to sanctuary zones.

These include so-called wilderness fishing areas where recreational fishing was allowed but all other "extractive activities", such as commercial fishing and oil and gas drilling, were forbidden.

The comments are a significant departure from the position of Dr Hatton's predecessor, Eric Streitberg, who argued that sanctuary zones were essential if authorities were to protect valuable fish and marine species.

They also raised eyebrows among green groups as the Government thrashes out plans for a series of marine parks in State waters, including the much-touted Camden Sound proposal in the Kimberley.

"There's enough potential merit in (sanctuary zones) from place to place that they should be seriously considered," Dr Hatton said.

"But they need to be based on the best available scientific evidence and an understanding of potential impacts on recreational and commercial fishing and other users."

Environment Minister Bill Marmion said Dr Hatton would help create a world-class, comprehensive system of marine parks with two other MPRA board appointees.

Conservation Council of WA executive director Piers Verstegen said the appointments could weaken the resolve of the MPRA to establish marine parks with sanctuary zones.

He feared Premier Colin Barnett would not deliver on his significant commitments to marine protection if MPRA appointments were out of step with the latest science and community sentiment.

Fishing fears stall marine parks

Daniel Mercer

The West Australian

Attempts to set up marine parks in WA's waters are getting bogged down amid fears about how they will affect fishers, the Barnett Government's marine parks advisor has warned.

Marine Parks and Reserves Authority chairman Eric Streitberg said negative perceptions were dominating the debate about marine parks at the expense of their "demonstrable" benefits.

Writing in the authority's annual report, the respected oil and gas industry veteran noted the difficulty in reaching a balance between conservation and "extractive use" interests, namely fishing.

He said the situation was invariably leading to "processes that are often very protracted".

"The debate over reserves is often dominated by the perceived negative impacts on extractive users, and what is often overlooked, or lost sight of in the debate, are the demonstrated major positive social and economic benefits of reserves," Mr Streitberg wrote.

Mr Streitberg's comments come as the Government continues to struggle in its efforts to establish a network of marine parks in State waters between the coast and three nautical miles offshore.

Despite touting the proposed Camden Sound marine park in the Kimberley as one of Australia's most important conservation projects in 2009, Premier Colin Barnett has failed deliver an outcome.

A number of other marine parks, including one off WA's South West coast, have stalled as differences between Environment Minister Bill Marmion and Fisheries and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore reach stalemate.

World Wildlife Fund WA director Paul Gamblin backed Mr Streitberg's concerns, saying the uncertainty shrouding the marine park debate in WA was leading to longer delays on proposals.

Mr Gamblin said people were often receptive to marine parks once they had been established but the delays were fuelling fears about them.

"The focus on some of the negatives can be exacerbated by delay," he said.

"People generally don't like uncertainty.

"The longer you stretch out these processes the more uncertain they can become and it doesn't foster the environment where you get the best outcomes."