Defend WA’s Nature

WA Nature is in serious trouble

We have all seen the dying trees everywhere across the whole southwest of WA.

Although we’ve now had good rain, do our forests and bushlands have sufficient resilience to bounce back. We just don’t know. We haven’t been here before. This drying impact on our patches means that there is less habitat / food for animals and so their range needs to be larger to aid survival.

This is a sign of what the future holds from climate change.

And we already know that we are in an extinction crisis and seasons such as this will not help species survival.

Government Plans for the EPA and EP Act

The WA Labor government wants to change the way the EPA works to improve approval timelines.  Some will require changes to legislation.

The conservation movement believes these changes will reduce the EPA’s independence and will water down the protections in the EP Act. We already hold great concerns about the assessments (and approvals) that already let bushland and forests be cleared, that do harm to TECs and endangered species and that reduce the totality of native vegetation.  We’ve all felt powerless to make a difference with the current laws.

The EP Act and the EPA are supposed to protect our environment. We need the community (all our members) to speak out for stronger laws and a stronger EPA.

The Urban Bushland Council has been working with CCWA and other environmental NGOs (eNGOs) to campaign for WA’s nature. Here on this page are some of the ways that you can help.

The Campaign

The key elements of this campaign are:

• Meeting with Labor members of WA Parliament to raise your voice in concern
• Completing an online petition directed to decision makers in the WA Labor government
• Public campaigning

Concurrently, the eNGOs are engaging in a consultation process with WA State government departments (DWER and DPC) and are lobbying to be briefed on proposed legislative change before it is considered by WA Parliament.

Community Resources

Meet with your MP

Following the in person session on 30 May, an online session will be held on Tuesday 18 June. Register here.

You can find the slides from the 30 May presentation here and the MP Meeting Guide Book here.

A handy resource you can leave with your local MP is a CCWA briefer. There is one specific for your State or Federal representative. Defend WA Nature – WA Climate Law – Federal Nature Laws

Online Campaign

Just launched is an online email campaign that can be sent to your local Labor MP and to key decision makers in the WA Government.  Follow this link to send.

Public campaigning

Our first public campaign was a rally on the steps of WA Parliament House on 13 February.

Watch out in newsletters and social media for future rallies.

In Summary

It is clear that we need to stop clearing native vegetation now and minimise the loss of condition of existing native vegetation.  And the best way to halt land clearing is through legislative power of a stronger EP Act (and EPBC Act). And this means WA needs a strong and independent EPA focused on protecting the environment and fully considers environmental factors, cumulative impact and emerging scenarios when making assessments and then having their recommendations supported by the Minister.

Read our collective positive reforms paper here. (coming soon)

Images: Susan Park in Madeley May 2024 (Christine Richardson); CCWA led rally Feb 2024 (Colma Keating)