DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT 2006–2007 Acknowledgments This report was prepared by the Corporate Communications Section, Department of Environment and Conservation. For more information contact: Department of Environment and Conservation Level 4 The Atrium 168 St Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000 Locked Bag 104 Bentley Delivery Centre Western Australia 6983 Telephone 08 6364 6500 Facsimile 08 6364 6520 Recommended reference The recommended reference for this publication is: Department of Environment and Conservation 2006–2007 Annual Report, Department of Environment and Conservation, 2007. We welcome your feedback A publication feedback form can be found at the back of this publication, or online at <http://www.dec.wa.gov.au>. ISSN 1835-1131 (Print) ISSN 1835-114X (Online) 30 August 2007 LETTER TO THE MINISTER Back Contents Forward Hon David Templeman MLA Minister for the Environment; Climate change; Peel In accordance with section 61 of the Financial Management Act 2006, I have pleasure in submitting for presentation to Parliament the Annual Report of the Department of Environment and Conservation for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. This report has been prepared in accordance with provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006. Keiran McNamara Director General DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT 2006–2007 3 FOREWORD Back Contents Forward This annual report is an historic document as it is the first such report of the Department of Environment and Conservation that came into being on 1 July 2006 through the amalgamation of the Department of Environment and the Department of Conservation and Land Management. In announcing the creation of the new agency, the Government noted that it would ‘be stronger and more robust with the resources to tackle priority and emerging issues related to protecting and conserving our environment and the nature of Western Australia’. The amalgamation of government agencies presents many challenges, not the least of which is maintaining services to the community while implementing the changes necessary to achieve the Government’s objectives. These changes have involved combining human resources, financial and information technology systems; co-locating staff in metropolitan and regional centres; and merging areas of the former agencies that have common aims such as native vegetation and wetlands protection. At the same time, it was important for the new agency to develop a corporate plan that identified our values and priorities as a department and provided a focus for staff in developing work plans to meet our objectives. It is pleasing to be able to report that these challenges largely were met during DEC’s first year of activity and a corporate plan was finalised. The department maintained and strengthened delivery of its core functions of protecting the environment and conserving the nature of Western Australia. Challenges associated with the creation of the new department aside, the year in review also presented several challenges that required a whole-of-department approach. Perhaps the most significant of these was when lead dust contamination emerged as a major issue at Esperance. The department’s response involved staff from several areas including Environmental Regulation, Nature Conservation, Strategic Development and Corporate Affairs, the Environmental Enforcement Unit and the South Coast region. I acknowledge the efforts of all the staff who were involved in the Esperance lead issue. It has involved a lot of time and commitment in addition to their day-to-day work. I particularly acknowledge DEC’s Esperance staff who dealt with this issue on a professional basis and, as members of the local community, understandably have their own concerns in relation to lead contamination. A key focus for DEC is to provide leadership in implementing the Government’s initiatives on sustainability and climate change. The department oversaw the development of the whole-of-government Act Now for the Future community awareness campaign on sustainability and climate change that was launched on 5 June, World Environment Day. During the year, the department provided a more coordinated focus on the development and implementation of sustainability and climate change issues through the creation of a Sustainability Division (that brings together the Sustainability Policy Unit and the Waste Management Branch) and by establishing an Office of Climate Change. From a legislative point of view, the new Contaminated Sites Act began operation on 1 December 2006. This significant legislation is regarded as the most progressive such law in Australia and will help keep us at the forefront when it comes to community and environmental health. Conservation of the nature of Western Australia remains a critical part of DEC’s core business. The past year saw the introduction of the Saving our Species initiative that involved more than 70 targeted projects to combat feral animals (including cane toads), weeds and Phytophthora dieback, to conserve threatened species and communities and to undertake biological surveys and research. This is a $15 million program over two years that focuses on areas where threats to native biodiversity can be overcome with targeted actions. Successes during the year included controlling tamarisk at Lake Boonderoo on the Nullarbor Plain; severely reducing populations of eastern long-billed corellas at Albany and Denmark; extensive feral pig control in Walyunga National Park and other areas in the Perth hills; and implementing innovative techniques to control a Phytophthora outbreak in Fitzgerald River National Park. 4 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT 2006–2007 FOREWORD Back Contents Forward Saving our Species is further strengthening the department’s biodiversity conservation programs which include implementing recovery plans for threatened species and ecological communities, developing a world-class parks and reserves network and fostering off-reserve conservation through DEC’s Good Neighbour Policy, Land for Wildlife and convenanting programs. Fire management is an integral part of the department’s land management and biodiversity conservation activities and responsibilities. The department manages around 25 million hectares of conservation lands and State forest and has responsibility for wildfire preparedness on 89 million hectares of unallocated Crown lands and unmanaged reserves. A special allocation of $5.5 million from the State Government in 2006–07 has enabled the department to increase its resources to manage complex wildfires such as those between Dwellingup and Waroona in January and February in 2007. New resources include mobile command centres, satellite-based communications and tracking systems, a cache of accommodation facilities, and additional fire trucks and earth moving machinery. Many of these new resources, particularly satellite communications equipment, also will enable department staff to undertake conservation work more safely and efficiently in remote areas, especially in the arid zone. The department recognises that community support is vital if we are to achieve our mission and places a strong emphasis on community consultation and involvement in its activities. The department has more than 9,500 registered volunteers who collectively contribute more than 400,000 hours a year to projects that protect our environment and conserve our biodiversity. The contribution of these volunteers is truly remarkable and greatly appreciated by the department. I also acknowledge the members of the Environmental Protection Authority, Conservation Commission of WA, Keep Australia Beautiful Council, Marine Parks and Reserves Authority, Swan River Trust, Waste Management Board and Contaminated Sites Committee, as well as the many hundreds of community members who provide their time as members of advisory committees and ‘friends of’ groups, who worked with the department during the year. I particularly thank the department’s 1,800 staff members based throughout the State and working alongside their local communities. They are a very dedicated team and met the challenge of creating a new department while maintaining the commitment to our environment, our future. Keiran McNamara Director General DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT 2006–2007 5 CONTENTS Back Contents Forward Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................... 2 Recommended reference................................................................................................................................ 2 Letter to the Minister ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Contents ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 10 1.1 Executive summary ....................................................................................................................11 1.2 Operational structure ...............................................................................................................