❓ Mrs. Warr raises concerns about the ecological impact of the Westport project on Cockburn Sound, particularly regarding fish spawning, dredging, sediment transport, noise pollution, and monitoring. The government response highlights the WAMSI research program and ongoing environmental impact assessments.

I refer to the ecological values of Cockburn Sound, and I ask:(a) Does the Department recognise Cockburn Sound as a significant spawning and nursery area for snapper or other commercially important species;(b) Has the Department assessed potential impacts of dredging turbidity and sediment plumes on fish larvae survival rates? If so, what are they;(c) What modelling has been undertaken regarding sediment transport and benthic habitat disturbance associated with Westport;(d) Has any independent scientific review been conducted on larval mortality risk due to underwater noise exposure; and(e) What fisheries monitoring program will be implemented before, during and after construction works?

(a)-(e) The State Government has contributed $13.5 million towards the Westport Marine            Science Program was a research partnership   undertaken by the independent Western        Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) to support Westport's planning for a    new port in Kwinana. Potential dredging impacts are being assessed through the environmental impact   assessment processes for Westport, informed by independently reviewed WAMSI–     Westport Marine Science Program research. The WAMSI program was shaped through broad consultation, and its delivery      involved 150 independent researchers across more than 30 projects, structured around     nine themes: ·         ecosystem modelling and integration; ·         benthic (seafloor) habitats and communities; ·         water and sediment quality; ·         fisheries and aquatic resources; ·         hydrodynamic modelling; ·         social values; ·         noise; ·         apex predators and iconic species; and ·         coastal processes. The data is now informing development of a holistic ecosystem model for predicting             environmental impacts and optimising restoration. A fisheries and environmental monitoring program is being developed through the            EIA, with final requirements set through regulatory      approvals.