Page 5779 - Week 18 - Tuesday, 10 December 1991
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MR MOORE (3.39): Mr Speaker, like Mr Jensen, I do not propose to go over the area of defined land, which is something that we debated at length last week. That would be an inappropriate way to waste the Assembly's time. However, I think that the fact that the defined land concept here is preventing further discussion lends itself to the view that Mr Jensen's amendment to the draft variation ought to be supported rather than allowing this variation to go through in its entirety.
One area that becomes most important is reflected in the statements by the Conservator of Wildlife. The Conservator of Wildlife, on page 5 of the variations, pointed out:
... the striped legless lizard, Delma impar, which is listed by CONCOM (Council of Nature Conservation Ministers) as a nationally vulnerable species occurs in this area.
When you go back to the planning principles that apply to the area and you look at the boundary hills, internal ridges, the water protection system, the development of suburbs, the bicycle and pedestrian systems, the road system and the subdivision design, you see that those principles do not take into account the protection of this aspect of the environment. It seems to me that a range of community groups would like to be in a position to comment on the protection of a species which is accepted as nationally vulnerable. It is entirely appropriate that a system be in place to ensure that these sorts of comments can be made and taken seriously.
The Conservator of Wildlife has stated that before any development occurs in the suburbs he refers to as H and W - they refer specifically to Harrison and Casey - studies do need to be undertaken. I quote:
These studies will be directed at establishing the significance and quality of the habitat and the viability of preserving isolated patches of habitat.
At this stage we do not have those studies and there is not time for public comment on them. It seems to me that if this Assembly allows this variation to go ahead in this form there will be no chance for public comment on those studies and on the various strategies that are put into place, and I think that is an inappropriate way to go. Mr Jensen, by his proposed amendments to the variation, seeks to allow time for the community to comment.
Allowing the community to comment on an issue like the striped legless lizard is a very important part of our understanding of our environment and of all the associated environmental issues. It seems to me that we need to take action now, not to disallow the variations as a whole but to disallow, at this point, the defined land concept so
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