Clearing of 20ha of land for pasture 16km west of Coolup - Shire of Murray

The proposal is to parkland clear about 20 ha of land on Murray Location 1473. This location comprises some 119 ha of which about 25 ha has already been cleared, with a further 20 ha which has been partially cleared, The proposal is based upon a farm development plan prepared by the proponent in consultation with the Department of Agriculture which identified areas proposed for clearing as well as areas proposed for permanent retention of native vegetation.

In April 1992, the proponent Mr Colin Rogers submitted a Notice of Intention to clear the land under the Soil and Land Conservation Act. The Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation rejected this application, and applied a Soil and Land Conservation Notice prohibiting the proposed clearing. Mr Rogers appealed against this decision to the then Minister for Agriculture, who established an appeals committee. Although the appeals committee recommended that the appeal should be upheld, the Minister for Agriculture was advised that a decision by him to uphold the appeal was constrained by Environmental Condition 5 of the Peel Inlet Harvey Estuary Management Strategy, which stated that the moratorium on clearing and drainage of land in the Peel Harvey Coastal Plain Catchment proposed by the Minister for Agriculture as part of that Strategy should remain in force until the Minister for the Environment could be satisfied that these activities would be environmentally acceptable.

This assessment is being undertaken to provide advice to the Minister for the Environment in order that he may advise the Minister for Primary Industry regarding the environmental acceptability of this proposal.