SouthWest Environment Centre in Bunbury, Western Australia | Community organisation

SouthWest Environment Centre

Locality: Bunbury, Western Australia

Address: PO Box 693 6230 Bunbury, WA, Australia

Website:

Likes: 1415

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community organisation
• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 EPA level of assessment , open for public comment , please see below

19.01.2022 More of the same.....

18.01.2022 A Bullsbrook market gardener has been fined $18,000 with costs of $618 after satellite imagery showed he had illegally cleared approximately 8.8 hectares of nat...ive vegetation. An application for a clearing permit had been made to the then Department of Environment and Conservation but was refused as the banksia woodland contained foraging habitat for the endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo. Comments attributed to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson: "Adhering to decisions on clearing permit applications is vital to ensure that inappropriate clearing of native vegetation does not take place. "Clearing native vegetation after an application was refused is a serious matter as it undermines the integrity of Western Australia's environmental laws." https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au//Satellite-surveilla Photo for illustration purposes only.

17.01.2022 Great news! Well done to all concerned

16.01.2022 DOCUMENTING ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE Noongar Boodjar Language Centre $90K funding received This project links Noongar Wudjari (W8) ancestral ecological knowledge a...bout plants, animals and places with western science knowledge to ensure this language and knowledge are preserved and can be used by Noongar and non-Noongar people in education and environmental management, now and in the future. It centres around intergenerational knowledge transfer and will be delivered via: training young people in language, ancestral and cultural data collection; fieldwork; community consultations; data management and presentation; plant and animal identification and cultural mapping. The high-level outcomes include Noongar Wudjari ancestral ecological knowledge: - Collecting, documenting knowledge and methods for data management and inclusion in language and biodiversity databases, including linking to western science and for the creation of resources and publications - Archiving for safe keeping under Special Collections at WA State Library. - Publishing through Noongar Boodjar Language Centre and online through the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) Australia’s national online biodiversity database. This includes print and online encyclopaedia. The people involved include: Noongar Wudjari language informants/consultants (Gail Yorkshire & Lynette Knapp); Noongar Boodjar Senior Linguist Denise Smith-Ali; ALA scientist; ethno-biologists/zoologists to link ancestral ecological knowledge for plants and animals to western science; trainees to learn methods to document, save and share language and ancestral knowledge about plants and animals and how to link this to western science. There will be three community consultation workshops. Firstly, to introduce project and project team and seek consent for project, data collection and sharing methods. Secondly, present data collected during first field trip for discussion on knowledge gaps and data sharing methods. Finally, team presentation of collected data and project reflection report, and secure consent for which data can be released for publication. There will be two week-long field trips to Noongar Wudjari country (Fitzgerald National Park) in spring and autumn to include Noongar seasonal calendar variations. The first of these field trips has been completed. https://noongarboodjar.com.au//documenting-ancestral-know/

12.01.2022 Did you know it takes around 150 years for a hollow to form that is suitable for Black Cockatoos to nest in? This is why it's extremely important to retain all... large trees, including dead ones. The trees that form the best hollows are Marri, Wandoo, Tuart, Salmon Gum and Karri. Below is a recent photo of a Carnaby cockatoo nesting in a large Tuart hollow in Lake Clifton. To keep mature trees healthy: fence trees off from livestock to prevent them ringbarking the tree; avoid spraying pesticides near their roots; and plant small native shrubs and ground covers around the base of trees to protect the roots from damage (e.g. due to mowing grass) and provide the right types of nutrients, fungi and soil conditions the native trees and plants need to flourish. We can help future nesting by planting Black Cockatoo habitat trees, to replace trees that eventually succumb to fire, drought, poor health, or a chainsaw :( Reach out and contact us if you want more help or advice on this! As the proverb says: "The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life" Rabindranath Tagore

10.01.2022 CRY OF THE FORESTS has absolutely taken off with sell-out screenings in Perth and the South West. Here are the upcoming confirmed screenings. Nov 14 DENMARK -... Denmark Civic Centre Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsdenmark CRY OF THE FORESTS - FILM Nov 18 ALBANY - Orana Cinemas Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsalbany Cry of the Forests + Q&A Nov 18 BUSSELTON - Orana Cinemas Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsbusselton Cry of the Forests + Q&A Nov 20 NANNUP - Town Hall Cry of the Forests + Q&A Nov 23 MARGARET RIVER - HEART Centre Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsmargaretriver Cry of the Forests Documentary + Audience Q&A Nov 28 DWELLINGUP - Lost Eden Creative Gallery Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsdwellingup "Cry of the Forest" by Jane Hammond and Astrophotography exhibition "The Universe, Yours to Discover" Nov 28 BRIDGETOWN - Bridgetown Lesser Hall Reservations: email [email protected] Dec 03 MANDURAH - Reading Cinemas Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsmandurah Cry of the Forests + Q&A Dec 07 FREMANTLE - Luna On SX Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsfremantle Cry of the forests + Q&A Dec 14 FREMANTLE - Luna On SX Tickets: bit.ly/cryoftheforestsfreo14 Cry of the Forests + Q&A

09.01.2022 Tis the season, the turtle nesting season! Keep a look out when driving for snake-necked turtles crossing the road. These little freshwater turtles are currentl...y on the move looking to lay their eggs and often have to cross roads to find the perfect spot. Their dark shells blend in very well to the bitumen of our roads and, true to turtle form, they are very slow! Please be mindful and slow down if you see one See more

07.01.2022 CSIRO State of the Climate report is released every 2 years , here’s the brief as of 2020 Observations, reconstructions and climate modelling paint a consistent picture of ongoing, long-term climate change interacting with underlying natural variability. Associated changes in weather and climate extremessuch as extreme heat, heavy rainfall and coastal inundation, fire weather and droughthave a large impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems. The...y affect the lives and livelihoods of all Australians. https://youtu.be/iilfTU4qS7I

07.01.2022 The South west has a real opportunity to capitalise on the need for a sustainable future by investing in innovation. Creating a green State would be a jobs bonanza for WA and add $16 billion to the local economy, while also shrinking its environmental footprint." https://thewest.com.au//jobs-bonanza-up-for-grabs-if-wa-go

05.01.2022 APPLICATION FOR A LICENCE AMENDMENT UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 1986 WITHDRAWN Cleanaway’s application for an amendment to licence (L8904/2015/1) u...nder Part V Division 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, to increase Category 64 capacity to 390,000 tonnes per annum, at the Banksia Road Putrescible Landfill has been withdrawn The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) advised Cleanaway of its intent to refuse the application. Cleanaway has subsequently withdrawn the application. DWER will shortly be initiating a formal review of licence L8904/2015/1. As part of the review process DWER will reassess the risks associated with all emissions and discharges from all activities on the premises and update regulatory controls if deemed appropriate. See more

04.01.2022 Rally and Petition Handover to Stop Alcoa's Mining Expansion in the Jarrah Forests Tues 10th Nov 2020, 3pm Parliament House, Perth ... Alcoa’s plans for expanded bauxite mining in the Jarrah forests around Dwellingup, Jarrahdale and Serpentine will be emphatically rejected at a large gathering at Parliament House in Perth today. Since the 1960s, 23 000 hectares of Jarrah forests along the Darling Scarp have been cleared for bauxite mining and alumina production. Alcoa is now proposing to expand its mining operations and clear a further 8700 ha an area more than 20 times the size of Perth’s Kings Park in some of the most ecologically significant Jarrah forests in the Dwellingup, Jarrahdale and Serpentine areas. Local communities, supported by the WA Forest Alliance and The Wilderness Society, will come together at Parliament House today to strongly reject the proposal and call for the remaining Jarrah forests to be securely protected. This is the best opportunity Western Australians have had in a generation to deal with the juggernaut that is bauxite mining in our precious jarrah forests, said Jess Beckerling, convener of the WA Forest Alliance. In the 1960s, the WA State Government signed a special State Agreement Act with Alcoa, promising them ongoing access to publicly-owned jarrah forests for bauxite mining. This has served as a major impediment to communities trying to protect jarrah forests as the bauxite mining cancer has spread down the Darling Scarp. Alcoa’s massive proposed expansion is before the EPA and will be subject to a full public environmental review, so the spotlight is shining brightly on the issue now and the community is rising up in opposition, said Ms Beckerling. Patrick Gardner, State Campaign Manager of the Wilderness Society, notes the Northern Jarrah Forests face considerable impacts from climate change over the coming decades and centuries. As we know, protecting forests is climate action, Patrick Gardner said. It defies logic that we would not only drag our feet on climate action, but also allow another 8,700 hectares to be knocked flat. This is 8,700 hectares of forest that currently acts as a bulwark against climate change and a safe harbour for threatened species and our dwindling biodiversity. The Wilderness Society also called into question the continued relevance of the State Agreements that provided access to bauxite reserves. The State Agreement that sanctions this brazen desecration was initially developed when we were sending people to the moon, Patrick Gardner said. Since that time, the 'cauliflower' of scarred landscapes in the Jarrah forests south east of Perth has grown and mutated like a tumour. This appalling loss of jarrah forest is happening on the doorstep of metropolitan Perth, said Mr Gardner. Forests need to be protected for climate and for life, said Ms Beckerling. We need the McGowan Government to listen to the science and act in the community’s best interests as he did on COVID by protecting native forests. Contact: [email protected] | 0408 879 700 Patrick Gardner | [email protected] | 0423 105 032

01.01.2022 SOLAR POWER!! The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the cost per megawatt to build solar plants is below fossil fuels worldwide for the first time. https://www.popularmechanics.com//solar-cheapest-energy-e/

01.01.2022 CLEANAWAY FINED FOR LICENCE BREACH Australia's largest waste management company has been fined $25,000 for breaching its licence conditions at its waste faci...lity on Banksia Road near Dardanup. Bunbury Magistrates court yesterday heard the company was found to be using the wrong land fill cover material following an investigation in August last year. During the investigation by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation the company was also found to have incorrectly stored a bulk container holding waste materials. The sentencing magistrate said there was no environmental impacts from the incidents and the breaches were at the lower end of the scale. The company has been scrutinised regularly by the local community with complaints of dust and noise coming from the site. In a statement Cleanaway said the tip is regularly audited and the company takes compliance with licence regulations seriously. It's the first breach for the company.