Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 45
Division/Agency:	Approvals and Wildlife
Topic: 	Munday Swamp

Hansard Page ECITA:	124

Senator Wong asked:

The letter from DOTARS to Mr Muir of the corporation which was cc’d to the minister did not result in your being required to give any advice? If so, when?

Answer/s:

The copy of the letter from DOTARS to Mr Muir was forwarded to the Department for appropriate action on 26 June 2003. At the time the letter was received, the Department had already had direct contact with DOTARS and had commenced investigations, including writing to Mr Muir raising concerns and seeking further information.

Receipt of the letter did not result in the Department being required to give advice to the Minister, as the issue was being handled as a routine compliance matter. Accordingly, the Minister was not provided with advice on the Department’s enquiries or its responses during this period, although on 1 August 2003, the Minister subsequently wrote to the WA Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr Judy Edwards, MLA, informing her of the Department’s response to this matter.

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 46
Division/Agency:	Approvals and Wildlife
Topic: 	Munday Swamp

Hansard Page ECITA:	127

Senator Wong asked:

Perhaps you can provide that on notice. Perhaps, Mr Borthwick, you can advise this on notice, given I do not think you are able to now: was the department provided with a copy of the DOTARS letter which I have tabled? If so, when and was any action taken as a result of it? Was any advice provided to the minister and, if so, when?

Answer/s:

See answer to Question no. 45.

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 47
Division/Agency:	Approvals and Wildlife
Topic: 	Munday Swamp

Hansard Page ECITA:	128

Senator Wong asked:

Who are the other people? You do not know who they are; is that right? You are going to get back to me on that?

Answer/s:

As part of its enquiries, the Department drew on information from: the Friends of Perth Airport Bushland, who provided the original allegation, along with site photographs; the Department of Transport and Regional Services, who provided information relating to remediation works; the Airport Environmental Officer; the Westralia Airports Corporation; and a report by a Principal Hydrologist, ENV Australia Pty Ltd. 

A Departmental Officer also inspected the site in August 2003, prior to the Department determining that the action had not had a significant impact. 

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 48
Division/Agency:	Approvals and Wildlife
Topic: 	Munday Swamp

Hansard Page ECITA:	130

Senator Wong asked:

So that is where DOTARS’ involvement is, in relation to the section 160 applications? The section 160 application did not relate at all to the area in question in this incident? 

Answer/s:

There has only been one referral by the Department of Transport and Regional Services under Section 160 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in relation to land on Perth Airport. This was for a warehousing and distribution park on part Precinct 2C.