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📜 Biodiversity Legislation (Priority Reforms) Bill 2012

Legislative Council Second ReadingLCBill 32018 October 2012Private Member

The Biodiversity Legislation (Priority Reforms) Bill 2012 amends the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and the Environmental Protection Act 1986 to improve biodiversity protection in Western Australia. It introduces a statutory mechanism for listing threatened species and ecological communities, increases penalties for offences, and creates appeals to the State Administrative Tribunal for environmentally significant clearing proposals.

Impact

This bill affects landowners, mining companies, and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). It aims to improve transparency and accountability in threatened species management and align WA's biodiversity laws with national standards and community expectations.

Key Changes

["Introduces a statutory mechanism for listing threatened species and ecological communities.", "Increases penalties for offences against protected fauna, flora and ecological communities.", "Creates appeals to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for certain clearing permit decisions."]