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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 10 Hansard (13 October) . . Page.. 3084 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

Tablelands region of New South Wales, at Gungahlin. These cover about 175 hectares of native grassland and a further 300 hectares of habitat for the striped legless lizard. More recently, a new grassland reserve was established at Dunlop.

These reserves have increased the total reserve land in the ACT to more than 53 per cent of the total area of the Territory; all, Mr Speaker, when Ms Tucker believes that the conservator's decisions have compromised the environmental values of the ACT. Even that short list proves that this is not so. Action plans are developed by the conservator - with extensive staff input and in consultation with the Flora and Fauna Committee - for conservation and protection proposals of the species or communities concerned.

The main objective of these plans is to ensure, as far as practicable, the protection and survival of species or ecological communities that have been identified as threatened. The Government is completing action plans for all declared items to provide for their conservation. The finalisation of the last 11 action plans, which I will announce shortly, will, I believe, establish a protection of biodiversity second to none in this country.

There are a number of statutory obligations of the Nature Conservation Act 1980 that are designed to protect the ACT's natural environment. Implementation of these obligations require the Conservator of Flora and Fauna to make a range of decisions with advice and input from an excellent team of expert staff. In the past two years this has included issuing of 1,738 licences to keep native animals; 336 licences to import animals other than exempt animals; 351 licences to sell animals other than exempt animals; 334 warnings, 20 infringement notices; initiation of eight prosecutions; and responses to some 1,280 complaints. How you can say that the role of the conservator has not been to protect the biodiversity of the ACT when you catalogue these is beyond me.

Other statutory obligations set out under the Land Act 1991 ensure that planning decisions take into account environmental implications of land development proposals. In the ACT, the Planning Authority is required to seek the advice and recommendations from the Conservator of Flora and Fauna. The conservator makes recommendations after consulting with agency employees and the ACT Environment Advisory Committee.

Over the past two years the Conservator of Flora and Fauna and his staff have provided statutory advice on 22 draft variations to the Territory Plan; recommendations regarding 11 direct grants affecting public land; recommendations regarding three licences affecting public land; and 13 development applications.

All this advice has upheld the Government's strong commitment to protecting, in a balanced way, the ACT's natural estate. While these are the activities for which the conservator has a statutory responsibility, there are many other issues that the conservator, Environment ACT and other stakeholders have been involved in to improve the natural environmental values of the ACT. These include developing more cooperative and holistic approaches to conservation management throughout the ACT; implementing conservation awareness and education programs; as well as improving physical infrastructure. Cooperation with other organisations is an important way in which the conservator can ensure the protection of the biodiversity of the ACT.

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