Destruction of ancient jarrah tree in Roe 8 reserve unlawful

Greens Member for South Metropolitan Lynn MacLaren MLC believes clearing laws may have been breached by a Main Roads contractor who felled a jarrah tree believed to be hundreds of years old in the Roe 8 road reserve early Tuesday morning. 

“Under clearing laws administered by the WA Department of Environmental Regulation, all native vegetation is protected, be it dead or alive, and in this case, an expert botanist has described the tree that was cut down as having been healthy,” Ms MacLaren said. 

“I saw the scarred tree stump this morning. I was shocked by how large it is. The botanist on site pointed out how important these ancient jarrah trees are for their hollows and habitat for insects. 

“The bees could have been relocated or destroyed on site by City of Cockburn contractors. 

“The law protects these trees. There’s no clear evidence that this tree was posing imminent danger to earn an exemption from clearing laws. And in any case, this has been declared an environmentally sensitive area, where exemptions do not apply. 

“If Main Roads had the permits from DER, let’s see them. If not, I want to see a prosecution. 

“This wanton destruction is unacceptable.

“The community have rallied in the wake of its destruction.

"The Minister for the Environment must defend our environment from further destruction. If that means taking another government department to court, then he must do it.”

 

 

Photo: Lynn at the protest over the felling of the tree, Thursday 14 January 2016.