2015-12-17
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren says that a review of the EPA’s policies and procedures announced by the Environment Minister today will be meaningless unless it reviews whether the EPA made other invalid decisions besides on Roe 8.
“Like the plan to drive a freeway through the Beeliar Wetlands, the proposed Mangles Bay Inland Marina for Cockburn Sound will also cause irrevocable harm to the environment but has been approved by the EPA and Minister under the same offset policy that Chief Justice Martin found was ignored on Roe 8,” Ms MacLaren said.
“When the EPA gave the green light for the controversial Mangles Bay proposal in April 2013 the decision was universally regarded by scientists and conservationists as a serious failure by the Authority to make a proper assessment.
“The proposed canal estate will reduce water quality in Cockburn Sound, destroy a critical fish nursery, some of the Sound’s few remaining healthy seagrass beds and critical foraging habitat for penguins from Penguin Island, see 40ha of public bushland designated as Bush Forever turned into private housing lots and impact three Threatened Ecological Communities and Lake Richmond.