Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2011

Summary: Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat
Release Date: 14 February 2012
Details:
Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2011

The Minister for Environment has approved the revised draft policy. This new policy, Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2011 replaces the 2002 policy and continues to protect the habitat of the Western Swamp Tortoise in the Swan Valley and lists actions that might degrade the critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoise habitat.

The policy is essentially the same as the 2002 policy. There are no new provisions. The only changes are the date change, very minor textual changes to make the intentions clearer, listing of the GPS coordinates for the boundary and updating the references to Western Australian legislation.


The Western Swamp Tortoise is the most endangered tortoise or turtle species on Earth. It is listed under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950, the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the United Nations Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) as a critically endangered species.

The EPP declares beneficial uses that are to be protected and aims to ensure management activities within the policy area do not adversely impact on the habitat or these beneficial uses. The EPP outlines a programme of protection for landowners, local government and the State government to implement. A 'Guidance Statement for the Protection of the Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat' was prepared by the EPA in 2006 to facilitate environmental impact assessment and complement the objectives of the EPP.

As part of its review of the Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2002, the EPA prepared a new draft Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2010 for public comment. Comments on this new draft EPP were invited in March and April 2010. The EPA have now considered these comments and prepared a revised draft EPP and report to the Minister for Environment. This has now been submitted to the Minister for Environment and concludes the EPA’s review of the Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2002.

The Minister has supported the EPA’s recommendations to continue the protection of the western swamp tortoise habitat through the release of this new policy.

 Download status

Download the documents

 Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy Approval Order 2011 (pdf 726 kb)

 Guidance Statement for the Protection of the Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat (pdf 341 kb)

 Review of the Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2002 (pdf 1.69 Mb)

 Revised Draft Environmental Protection (Western Swamp Tortoise Habitat) Policy 2010 (pdf 959 kb)

 Frequently Asked Questions (pdf 1.47 Mb)


Status: Enacted
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