New Wanjina National Park

AAP

Thousands of angry unionists knocked on Premier Colin Barnett's office door to voice their frustration at overseas recruitment - only to find he was out campaigning thousands of kilometres away.

The massed ranks of Western Australia's union movement marched through Perth's main business district on Thursday, continuing a long-term protest against mining and construction companies using guest workers over Australians.

"We are a state that relies on trade, so we will not mandate local content," WA Commerce Minister Simon O'Brien said in response to Thursday's well-attended rally, which was led by construction and maritime union members.

Far away in the Kimberley, Mr Barnett was campaigning to raise his party's environmental credentials.

In their fourth announcement about the Kimberley in a month, the Liberals laid out a plan to create one of Australia's biggest national parks in the state's north.

The Class A Wanjina National Park, stretching from Walcott Inlet in the south to the Lawley River in the north, would provide the highest level of protection to the internationally recognised environment, rock art and cultural values, including those of the Wanjina people.

The park could cover up to 20,000 sq km - 2000 sq km bigger than Kakadu.

Planning minister John Day announced on Thursday that if re-elected at the March 9 poll, the government would build 500 affordable homes on big state-owned blocks within three years and loosen laws on granny flats to address WA's housing crisis.

Families and social welfare remained the focus for WA Labor, with a promise of more childcare services at schools and a new mental health facility north of Perth.

Leader Mark McGowan revealed a 10-point plan to tackle mental health, providing 50 extra community liaison officers and building a $95 million mental health facility at Joondalup Health Campus.

Mr McGowan claimed some of WA's most vulnerable had been let down by the government.

"Our mental health system is not working and too many patients are falling through the cracks," he said.

Labor also promised childcare facilities at all new primary schools and help for schools to set up out-of-school care.

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

Announcement of the Final Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network Proposal

via email:

This morning the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Hon. Tony Burke, released the final Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network proposals for the South-west, North-west, North, Coral Sea and Temperate East Marine Regions.

The final marine reserves network proposals reflects revisions made as a result of the recent public consultation process conducted in each marine region and the assessment of potential socio-economic impacts undertaken in parallel with the public consultation.

In the coming weeks, the Director of National Parks will release a public notice inviting comment on the proposed proclamation of the final Commonwealth marine reserves. Once the notice has been published in the Commonwealth Government Gazette, the public will have 60 days to provide comment to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

Information on the final Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network proposal can be found at www.environment.gov.au/marinereserves

National Map: http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/reserves/pubs/map-national.pdf

Kimberley map: http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/reserves/nw-kimberley.html

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."