Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are few more idyllic spots than Denmark on the south coast of my electorate, and I rise to recognise someone who has done more than most to protect Denmark's outstanding natural environment. On Thursday night, Basil Schur took out the 2021 Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award at the National Landcare Awards, which were streamed nationwide from Sydney. I've known Basil for years and can vouch for his steadfast commitment to the environment of southern WA. In 2020 he was named Denmark's Citizen of the Year for his decades of caring for the land. The year before that he took out the Individual Landcare Award for Western Australia.

I am absolutely thrilled that Basil has now achieved a local, state and national trifecta, this time in recognition of his wide array of environmental work across WA's southern regions. For three incredible decades, Basil has worked within the community to initiate planning, conservation and restoration for rivers and wetlands. He established the Denmark Wetland Centre and was instrumental in coordinating the Balijup Fauna Sanctuary in Tenterden. There, he worked with landowners to fence 110 hectares of native bushland in the Kent River catchment.

Basil's work has seen a rise in the number of southern brown bandicoots, or quenda, and other native wildlife in the sanctuary. Basil has also run regular citizen science workshops, ensuring that his wealth of landcare expertise is spread far and wide and shared with future generations of Western Australians. Well done, Basil.