WA land clearing
A damning report tabled in the Western Australian parliament yesterday cited serious deficiencies into the state’s management of the clearing of natural vegetation. The report, by Western Australian Auditor General, Colin Murphy, found 10 football fields of vegetation were legally cleared every day in the state, with countless more land cleared illegally. Mr Murphy’s report found that the department of Industry and Resources has not rejected a single permit application from the resources sector in three years, leaving environmental groups calling for tighter controls and regulations. One such group, the Conservation Council of Western Australia, makes the protection of native vegetation a priority. The Wire’s Juliette Robinson spoke to the Council’s Director Chris Tallentine about the report and what its findings mean for Western Australian biodiversity.