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Annual Report 2019-20 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation

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Annual Report 2019-20 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Acknowledgements This report was prepared by the Public Information and Corporate Affairs Branch of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), produced from online HTML content converted into PDF. Every effort has been made to ensure that the style and formatting in the HTML format is reflected in the PDF format but some differences may be unavoidable. For more information contact: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 17 Dick Perry Avenue Technology Park, Western Precinct Kensington Western Australia 6151 Locked Bag 104 Bentley Delivery Centre Western Australia 6983 Phone: (08) 9219 9000 Email: [email protected] The recommended reference for this publication is: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 2020 ISBN 978-1-925978-11-7 (Print) ISBN 978-1-925978-10-0 (Online) September 2020 Copies of this document are available in alternative formats on request. Cover images (clockwise from top left): 1: Kings Park Festival. Photo – BGPA 2: Parker Point, Rottnest Island. Photo – Tourism WA 3: Danggu National Park. Photo – Shem Bisluk/DBCA 4: Otters at Perth Zoo. Photo – Alex Cearns 5: 100 Year Forest. Photo – Michael Pez/DBCA 6: Forest red-tailed black cockatoos. Photo – Rick Dawson Back page image: Canoeing at Kalbarri National Park. Photo – Peter Nicholas/DBCA Contents Letter to the Minister 3 Foreword 4 Overview of the agency Executive summary 8 About the Department 12 Organisational chart 13 Enabling legislation 14 Responsible Minister 14 Legislation administered by the Department at 30 June 2020 14 Legislation administered by the Statutory Authorities at 30 June 2020 14 Notices, appointments, orders and approvals 15 Performance management framework 16 Agency performance Service 4: Visitor Services and Public Programs Provided in the Swan Canning Riverpark 17 Service 5: Visitor Services and Public Programs Provided in National Parks and Other Lands and Waters 28 Service 6: Conserving Habitats, Species and Ecological Communities 41 Service 7: Conservation Partnerships 56 Service 8: Implementation of a Forest Management Plan 67 Service 9: Prescribed Burning and Fire Management 74 Service 10: Bushfire Suppression 82 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report 1 Supporting the Department Corporate and Business Services Division 90 Department-managed lands and waters 94 Legal matters 103 Marine operations 104 Visitor risk management 104 Disclosures and legal compliance Certification of the financial statements 107 Auditor General’s opinion 108 Financial statements 112 Certification of the key performance indicators 186 Key performance indicators 187 Ministerial directives 197 Other financial disclosures 198 Pricing policies 198 Capital works 198 Employment and industrial relations 200 Governance disclosures 201 Unauthorised use of purchasing cards 201 Contracts with senior officers 202 Board and committee remuneration 202 Other legal requirements 209 2020–21 annual estimates 209 Advertising 210 Disability access and inclusion plan outcomes 211 Compliance with public sector standards and ethical codes 212 Recordkeeping plans 213 Government policy requirements 214 Health, safety and wellbeing 214 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report 2 Hon Stephen Dawson MLC Minister for Environment In accordance with section 63 of the Financial Management Act 2006, I have pleasure in submitting for presentation to Parliament the Annual Report of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. This report has been prepared in accordance with provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006. Mark Webb PSM Director General Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report 3 In 2019–20 the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) continued its important work to promote biodiversity and conservation through sustainable management of WA’s species, ecosystems, lands and the attractions in its care. DBCA’s third year of operations was productive with significant achievements across a range of service areas. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to people and organisations around the world. In Western Australia (WA), DBCA contributed to a unified State Government response to the State of Emergency in a number of ways, including the deployment of staff to the COVID-19 Information Coordination Centre, the issuing of essential public information, and changes to procedures across the State. I am proud to say that DBCA staff continued to deliver a wide range of services to the WA community with minimal disruption. For about one third of DBCA’s workforce, working from home was not possible due to the field-based nature of their roles. These staff adapted their work practices to implement physical distancing and hygiene procedures, consistent with health advice. More than 500 staff members moved temporarily into working-from-home arrangements to help address the risk of community spread of the disease. I would particularly like to acknowledge the work of People Services Branch and the Office for Information Management for making this transition as smooth as possible. National and marine parks and reserves – as well as Kings Park and Botanic Garden – remained opened to the public throughout the State of Emergency, providing welcome relief to people during the toughest times of the pandemic. Unfortunately, Perth Zoo closed for the first time in 122 years, although many staff remained Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2019–20 Annual Report 4 on site to care for the animals. Rottnest Island was closed to holidaymakers and used as a quarantine site for travellers, playing a key role in the protection of the WA community. The value of natural spaces was highlighted as restrictions eased and campgrounds reopened, with visitors flocking to book campsites at Park Stay WA. I would like to extend my appreciation to all staff, volunteers and partner organisations for their flexibility during this challenging time. During 2019–20, DBCA progressed the Plan for Our Parks initiative, a bold plan that will see WA's conservation estate expand by 20 per cent over five years. We celebrated the creation of Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park and the addition of ‘Site L’ to the jointly-managed Murujuga National Park in July 2019, and the creation of a class A conservation reserve to protect Beeliar Wetlands in May 2020. Together with other State Government departments, we consulted widely with traditional owners, the resource sector, pastoralists, commercial and recreational fishers, conservation groups, local government authorities, neighbours and other key stakeholders and interest holders to help refine the 18 opportunity areas identified under Plan for Our Parks. Since the launch of the initiative in February 2019, several hundred stakeholders have been contacted and over 80 meetings held. Feedback was constructive and positive with a broad level of support for the initiative. The 2019–20 southern bushfire season presented a number of challenging bushfires. On five occasions, pre-formed teams consisting of staff from DBCA, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Forest Products Commission were deployed to respond to major bushfires. These teams were deployed to Stirling Range National Park on two separate occasions, the Esperance-Goldfields complex, and the Wellington and Yanchep bushfires. Our science programs continued to deliver high-quality, targeted science to support DBCA’s operations. Following bushfires at Stirling Range National Park, we assessed the impact on threatened invertebrates and began developing a recovery strategy for this unique group of animals. In addition, our scientists refined monitoring protocols for the western ground parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris), night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) and Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) through the use of audio recording units. A great deal of work went into the development of interim recovery plans for two threatened plants, Conospermum galeatum and Gastrolobium vestitum, which were released in June 2020. DBCA's collaborative partnerships with industry and the community again proved to be very effective in managing and protecting the nature of WA. Three projects between DBCA and Chevron have been completed as part the Wheatstone offsets program. These projects resulted in widescale conservation actions in the Pilbara Region, including fencing of the 327,000-hectare Cane River Conservation Park to restrict access to feral herbivores and stray cattle. In addition, Chevron offset funding supported island conservation, weed eradication and community education works. I look forward to hearing progress on the two continuing projects under this program. 2020 also marked 50 years of the WA Herbarium's botanical journal Nuytsia. In celebration, 54 new species were named or described as part of a 'golden anniversary' edition of the journal. Another exciting achievement was DBCA being recognised as the first WA public sector agency and the first WA-based organisation to become a Disability Confident Recruiter, after being granted certification from the Australian Network on Disability.
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