The forest habitat of endangered Black cockatoos is at risk of destruction for a new housing development near Margaret River. Ninety-eight mature Marri trees on the Witchcliffe Forest Estate, some with an age of 350+ years, are in danger of being bull-dozed. The clearing is for an access road to just a handful of the total number of lots being sold.
Karak (Red-tailed Black Cockatoos) are currently foraging in the trees within the road corridor and at least one nesting hollow has been documented right next to the clearing zone. This year’s fledgling has just emerged from the nest and it would be a tragedy if the nest hollow is abandoned due to disturbance and the loss of foraging habitat.
The original environmental assessment commissioned by the development proponents in 2006 categorised this part of the forest as “Completely degraded – Degraded” due to evidence of cattle having grazed there in the past. This misleading nature of the original environmental assessment was brought to the attention of AMR Shire environmental officers in a submission by scientist Dr Boyd Wykes in August 2007:
‘The tree canopy of Marri, Jarrah and Peppermint is in very healthy condition and, despite some history of cattle grazing, there is extensive understory regrowth with little weed invasion.’
It is absolutely vital that the habitat of this endangered species is protected from further encroachment from housing developments. The small town of Witchcliffe is undergoing intense development, with hundreds of new houses being built within the immediate vicinity of an small and isolated patch of remnant forest. Any loss of habitat could spell disaster for the Witchcliffe Black Cockatoos.
The Friends of Witchcliffe Forest have made numerous appeals to the Augusta-Margaret River Shire but have been told that all the environmental conditions have been met.
Despite numerous requests a fauna assessment has not been sighted, however the developer has now agreed to undertake a new survey. It is hoped that this will result in the proponent referring the development to the federal EPBC Act 1999, and the eventual redesign of the development so as to avoid impacting Black Cockatoo habitat.
The loss of at least one nesting hollow and six heavily timbered blocks, comprising over 1ha of high-quality foraging habitat for the Black Cockatoo, meets the threshold for referral to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 as outlined in the Referral Guideline for 3 WA Threatened Black Cockatoo Species: ‘loss of habitat of threatened species is a matter of environmental significance and must be referred to the Minister of the Environment for assessment.’
How you can help:
Please send an email to Federal Minister for the environment Tanya Plibersek and ask her to refer this development for assessment under the EPBC Act 1999: Minister.Plibersek@dcceew.gov.au
You can also email WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby: Minister.Whitby@dpc.wa.gov.au
Above: mother with fledgling, the tree, and the hollow (centre of image).
Below: there are at least two families of Forest red-tails who have reared fledglings this year and are currently foraging within the clearing zone. At left another female fledgling, at right her mother.
