Conservationists, scientists demand answers over prescribed burning of important swamps abc.net.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc.net.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A tiny mining company that wants to drill near Denmark on WA’s south coast has had to do less public consultation than a local who wanted to start a restaurant.
Prescribed burning in numbat habitat under fire
Scientists warn strategic fires are killing native wildlife, including endangered numbats.
Credit: gmast3r / Getty Images
Western Australian scientists petitioned their Premier this week for a full, independent scientific enquiry into the state’s prescribed burning practices, which they say have now killed some of the last remaining numbats (
Myrmecobius fasciatus), or walpurti, a rare and endangered marsupial.
A fire was lit by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) on 25 March this year by dropping firebombs from a helicopter in Weinup block, south of Perth, next to Perup Nature Reserve – one of the numbat’s last two homes.
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Bushfires pose a threat in many parts of Australia, but their management can also come at a cost.
In South West Western Australia, there are concerns that prescribed burning plans are having a negative environmental impact on an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot.
Traditional Owners, scientists and members of the community have been lobbying the state government to reconsider the current prescribed burn regime.
GUESTS:
Dr Lachie McCaw, senior principal research scientist with DBCA.
Dr Joanna Young, botanist and south coast farmer.
Steve Hopper, Professor of Biodiversity at UWA in Albany.
Lynette Knapp, Minang woman from the southern coast.