Loss of Mature Native Trees listed as threatening process in ACT

[Martin Butterfield <>]

Jenny

That can only be good news.  However I have no idea how strong the Instrument is.   Is this merely one more thing that the Minister has to over-ride if those promoting a development indicate that their needs for economic or employment boosts are more important?

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On Tue, 2 Oct 2018 at 09:11, Jenny Bounds <> wrote:

Chatline members may be interested in this, see the note and link below to the relevant legislative document. 

 

By way of background, this nomination was put together by several people under the umbrella of the Conservation Council’s Biodiversity Working Group which I chair (principal contributors Geoff Butler (ANPS), Sarah Sharp (FOG), Jenny Bounds (COG), and Larry O’Loughlin (Director, Conservation Council)).  It came about due to our concerns and frustrations over the ongoing decisions by ACT Government to clear large numbers of mature native trees for various developments. The catalyst finally was Minister Gentleman’s use of the Minister’s call in powers for the Solar Farm at Williamsdale which removed over 100 mature eucalypts, without proper consideration of alternative, already cleared sites.

 

I contributed on behalf of COG, relevant information on impacts of loss of these trees, on the Superb Parrot and Brown Treecreeper, drawing on material from COGs Superb Parrot surveys in Gungahlin & Molonglo Valley, Chris Davey’s study of Brown Treecreepers in and around Kama Nature Reserve, as well as COG database records.

 

It is very good news.  We are yet to see how this may change the way these trees are dealt with in the ACTs planning processes.

 

Cheers

Jenny Bounds

Conservation Officer

COG

 

 

Following the discussion at the Biodiversity Working Group I am circulating the link https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2018-536/

 

The instrument took effect 27 September. It is called advice which takes account of some rewording of the Nature Conservation Act passed a few weeks ago.

 

As the Advice says:

 

A nomination of the threatening process Loss of hollow bearing trees was made by a group led by the Conservation Council (ACT) and was assessed against the eligibility criteria outlined in the Nature Conservation (Key Threatening Processes Eligibility) Criteria 2016 (DI2016-256).  

 

The Committee considered the nomination and supplementary information provided by the nominators, and other research on large mature native trees within the ACT and region.  The Committee agreed to broaden the threatening process from the loss of hollow bearing trees to the key threatening process of Loss of mature native trees (including hollow bearing trees) and a lack of recruitment.

There are Conservation Issues and Proposed Management Actions on pages 15 and 16.

 

Congratulations to those who have worked on this proposal over the years and particularly on the latest version, especially the Biodiversity Working Group.

 

It's great news and we'll have a closer look and write it up and publicise!

 

Cheers

Larry O'Loughlin
Executive Director, Conservation Council ACT Region

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