Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Ludlam, move:

That the Senate—

   (a)     notes:

       (i)     sightings of one adult and three baby bilbies at the site of the proposed James Price Point gas hub, Western Australia, in the week beginning 7 August 2011,

       (ii)     that the pristine Kimberley bushland is prime habitat for the bilby, acknowledged as a vulnerable species by both the Western Australian Government and the Federal Government,

       (iii)     the need to verify these sightings and establish the significance of the bilby population at James Price Point,

       (iv)     that the land clearing that has already been undertaken by Woodside Petroleum at this site is considered an uncontrolled action,

       (v)     that uncontrolled clearing through this area may contravene the Government's own bilby recovery plan, and

       (vi)     that the decision to locate a gas hub or other heavy industry at James Price Point is still being considered under the Federal Government's strategic assessment process and is yet to be assessed; and

   (b)     calls for:

       (i)     an immediate halt to all land clearing at the James Price Point gas hub site until the nature and extent of the bilby colony has been established, and

       (ii)     the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Mr Burke) to:

           ( a )     consider this new evidence of bilby colonies at the clearing site,

           ( b )     commission further independent studies into the status and habitat of the bilby population in this area,

           ( c )     take careful note of the information provided through the environment protection and biodiversity conservation process, and

           ( d )     examine the gas hub proposal in light of its impact on the bilby.