The Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER) has published the Native Vegetation Policy for Western Australia and a Native Vegetation Policy Implementation Roadmap for the four years 2022 to 2026.
Consultation on the policy was conducted in 2021. The CME submission supported the intent of the policy but recommended streamlining of regulation and improvement to native vegetation data systems to ensure that regional and landscape scale decisions are supported by consistent and reliable data.
These recommendations have been acknowledged in the policy, with the implementation plan including actions related to these recommendations. CME will continue to work with DWER and other lead agencies during this first four-year implementation period to ensure policy outcomes provide stakeholder and community confidence in native vegetation assessments and decisions.
Consultation on draft Procedure for Environmental Offsets Metric Inputs
DWER has commenced consultation on the draft Procedure for Environmental Offsets Metric Inputs. This procedure will be used with the WA environmental offsets metric calculator and guideline.
The procedure is aimed at helping users of the offsets calculator understand the calculator inputs and rationale, improve the consistency and transparency of offset calculations and provide better alignment between EP Act offset requirements and EPBC Act conditions of approval.
The draft procedure is intended to apply to all land-based biodiversity offsets required as a condition of EP Act approvals in the intensive and extensive land use zones. It will not be used for proposals that use the Pilbara Environmental Offsets Fund.
CME intends to prepare a submission on the draft procedure and welcomes member feedback. Please forward any comments by 27 June 2022.
Contact: Anita Logiudice, Senior Adviser – Environment & Sustainability
Email: a.logiudice@cmewa.com
