E R N M O V E G N T E O H F T W A E I S L T A E R R N A U S T Acknowledgments This yearbook was prepared by the Corporate Communications Branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation. For more information contact: 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 Recomended reference The recommended reference for this publication is: Department of Environment and Conservation 2011 2010–11 Yearbook, Department of Environment and Conservation, Perth ISSN 1839-888X (Print) ISSN 1839 8898 (Online) December 2011 Staff photography by Peter Nicholas/DEC Thank you to the following staff who are featured throughout this document: Skye Coffey and Phil Spencer, Technical Officers, WA Herbarium; Ryan Donegan, Operations Officer, Regional Parks Branch; Scott Jenkinson and Naomi Telford, Environmental Officers, Contaminated Sites Branch; Wendy Chow, Project Officer and Gemma Grigg, Ecologist, Species and Communities Branch; Ross Mead, Air Attack Supervisor; and Jordan Cantelo, Conservation Employee, Regional Services Division. This document is available in alternative formats on request. Contact Corporate Communications Branch on (08) 9389 4000. ii DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION 2010–11 YEARBOOK Foreword The second DEC Yearbook has grown in size and scope from the first, recognising the importance of documenting the department’s achievements at all levels. ‘Big-ticket’ announcements such as the historic release of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy and the inscription of Ningaloo on the World Heritage List are important, but tend to distract from the day-to-day ‘to-do’ lists that put government policy into practice. The diversity of activity within DEC is, put simply, quite extraordinary. In Environmental Regulation, for example, steady gains have been made in improving processing times for major resource project licence applications, with the department meeting its 60-working-day target for all such applications in 2010–11, and achieving an average of 32 working days for 20 applications, compared to the preceding year’s average of 42 working days for 16 applications. Meanwhile, a small army of volunteers has been engaged in the Herculean task of moving hundreds of thousands of Western Australian Herbarium specimens to the new state-of-the-art facilities at the Western Australian Conservation Science Centre. Policy officers continue to work on finding ways to address the impact of climate change in Western Australia. Planning professionals consult with the public and other organisations and produce draft and final management plans for conservation lands and waters. Any day of the week, wildlife officers are dealing with hitch-hiker cane toads and rogue crocodiles, scientists are in the field describing new species, and the pollution response unit is always at the ready to don their hazardous materials gear to deal with chemical spills. Across the state, DEC staff are working on recovery plans for threatened species and communities, but they are also grading roads, fixing roofs, erecting signs, greeting the public and making campers comfortable. I am pleased to present the 2010–11 DEC Yearbook for the public record, and take this opportunity to thank the many DEC staff and volunteers who continue to strive for the health and sustainability of Western Australia’s environment. Keiran McNamara Director General iii Contents Acknowledgments ii Foreword iii List of tables and figures ix PART ONE: OVERVIEW 1 Key events and issues 2010–11 3 Kimberley strategy unveiled 3 Ningaloo joins World Heritage List 5 Great Western Woodlands strategy released 7 Other organisational highlights 9 New technology tracks entangled whale 9 DEC future leaders show the way 10 Firefighter recognised in Australia Day honours 13 Environment champions celebrated 14 Record public concern for heat-stricken turtles 15 Unusual find by quick-thinking Pollution Response 16 Hundreds of marooned agile wallabies saved 17 Hitchhiker toads reach the south-west 18 Safe haven for woylies 20 Mine worker convicted of smuggling protected fauna 21 Vale Peter Hewett 22 PART TWO: SERVICE AREAS 24 Nature Conservation 25 Building biodiversity knowledge 26 Biological inventory 26 Taxonomy and biotic collection management 29 Resource condition monitoring 31 Establishment of the terrestrial and marine conservation reserve system 32 Effective management of the conservation reserve system 32 Management planning for conservation reserves 32 Good Neighbour policy 32 Fire and biodiversity research projects 33 Recovery of threatened species and ecological communities, and management of other significant species and ecosystems 34 Threatened Species Council 34 Recovery of threatened species and ecological communities 34 Wetland conservation 45 iv DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION 2010–11 YEARBOOK Priority nature conservation projects 48 Management of commercial activities involving wildlife 50 Regulation 50 Conserving landscapes and seascapes; integrating off- and on-reserve conservation and managing threatening processes 59 Biodiversity conservation strategy 59 Biodiversity conservation legislation 59 Native Vegetation Framework 59 Regional nature conservation plans 59 Regional marine planning 59 Managing system-wide threats 60 Invasive species control 62 Phytophthora dieback management 64 Fire management and invasive animal control on unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves 64 Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy 65 Great Western Woodlands 66 Assessment of land resource use impacts on biodiversity conservation 66 Native tree crops/revegetation 74 Encouraging public understanding and support of biodiversity conservation and other DEC programs and activities 75 Southwest Australia Ecoregion Initiative 75 Public participation programs 75 Provision of private land biodiversity conservation support and advice 77 Animal ethics 78 Sustainable Forest Management 80 Implementation of approved forest management plans and government policies and programs 81 Forest Management Plan 2004–2013 81 Preparing the next forest management plan 82 Community forest inspection program 82 Inventory, assessment and modelling of natural resources 83 Maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity and other values of forests 83 Health and vitality in natural landscapes 83 Integrated planning support 84 Management of soil disturbance in timber harvesting 84 Implementation of fauna habitat zones 84 Management system for approvals, monitoring and compliance 84 Forest auditing 86 Adaptive management 92 Provision for harvesting, regeneration and growth of forest products 92 Silviculture guidelines 92 v Monitoring of areas subject to timber harvesting and associated treatments 92 Regional harvest plans 93 Partnerships 93 Parks and Visitor Services 95 Planning for management 96 Acquisition and administration of protected areas 99 Reserve acquisition 99 Leasing activities 99 Apiary site management 100 Park presentation and resource protection 100 Capital works 100 Roads 100 Recreation planning and design 101 Visitor communication and management 102 Interpretive planning 102 Interpretive design 102 Community liaison, consultation and advisory services 102 Guided interpretive programs 102 Aboriginal liaison, consultation and heritage 104 Planning and relationship building 104 Education and training 105 Business management 105 Communication and promotion 105 Rediscover Parks 107 Park passes and fees 107 Commercial operations and events 108 Legislation and policy for parks and visitor services 109 Legislation 109 Policy 109 Recreation activities and trails 110 Bibbulmun Track 110 Munda Biddi Trail 110 Motorised recreation 111 Community involvement 113 Volunteers 113 Healthy Parks, Healthy People 114 Regional parks 115 Planning and estate management 115 Social and visitor research 118 vi DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION 2010–11 YEARBOOK Visitor-use monitoring 118 Visitor survey program 120 Astronomy 122 Public viewing and participation 122 Research activities 122 Support to the Conservation Commission 123 Other initiatives 124 Memoranda of understanding 124 World and national heritage 124 Formal management arrangements with Aboriginal people 125 Regional activities 126 Goldfields Region 126 Kimberley Region 126 Midwest Region 126 Pilbara Region 128 South Coast Region 129 South West Region 130 Swan Region 132 Warren Region 133 Wheatbelt Region 133 Environmental Regulation 134 Controlled waste 135 Approvals processing 136 National Pollutant Inventory 136 Industry regulation 136 Regulation of prescribed premises 136 Industry regulation compliance strategy 137 Southern Metropolitan Regional Council’s Canning Vale waste composting facility 137 Indian Ocean Territories 137 Noise regulation 138 Environmental hazards management 138 Local government support and training 138 Environmental health training 139 Regulation of contaminated sites 139 Regulatory Training Program 140 Perth air quality management plan 143 Vehicle emissions 143 Haze from domestic wood heaters 143 Background air quality study—Midland 145 vii Background air quality study—Kwinana 145 Regional air quality investigations 145 Fixed ambient air quality monitoring network 145 DEC’s air quality laboratory 146 Public access to air quality data 147 Environmental Sustainability 148 Strategic Policy 149 Participation in Environment Protection and Heritage Council projects 149 Waste management 149 Legislation