DEC to be split in two

Posted June 28, 2013 17:47:22

Audio: Stephen Stockwell reports on the DEC split (ABC Rural)

Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) will split into two separate bodies on Monday; the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Environment Regulation.

After the split Parks and Wildlife will manage conservation areas while Environment Regulation will look after licensing, approvals and regulation - things like land clearing and waste management.

DEC acting director general, Jim Sharp, says the cost of the split will be absorbed by the new departments' budgets, but insists it won't affect the money going into projects.

"In terms of the delivery of these expectations, I think that's part of the argument for having a more direct focus on the businesses, so we direct it to where you get the best outcomes as far as the expectations are in terms of both parks and wildlife management and environment regulation."

Dale Park, president of the WA Farmers Federation is hopeful the split will improve relationships between farmers and the government.

"One of the problems we've had over the years is that the demarcation between parts of DEC that are prosecuting farmers for land clearing has definitely got in the way of their other role that is looking after national parks and the unallocated crown land.

"I think on a neighbour to neighbour basis hopefully that relationship will improve when we've just got a department looking after the land that's actually alongside farmers."

Under the split there will be a push to open up WA's national parks to more visitors, but it's a move that worries environmental group Environs Kimberley.

The groups director, Martin Pritchard, is concerned the department won't have the money to handle the increased workload.

"The Government isn't giving the Department of Environment and Conservation enough money to actually manage the problems that are occurring (within parks) now and to put more people into national parks is likely to lead to things like more littering, weeds being carried in to particular national parks, potentially other problems like cane toads being ferried around."

Topics: agricultural-policy, conservation, perth-6000