A Bullsbrook market gardener has been fined $18,000 with costs of $618 after satellite imagery showed he had illegally cleared approximately 8.8 hectares of native vegetation.
An application for a clearing permit had been made to the then Department of Environment and Conservation but was refused as the banksia woodland contained foraging habitat for the endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo.
Comments attributed to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson:”Adhering to decisions on clearing permit applications is vital to ensure that inappropriate clearing of native vegetation does not take place.
“Clearing native vegetation after an application was refused is a serious matter as it undermines the integrity of Western Australia’s environmental laws.”
Photo for illustration purposes only.
