The "best parts" of the Kimberley will be preserved under the West Australian government's strategy for one of the world's last wilderness areas, Premier Colin Barnett says.
The "best parts" of the Kimberley will be preserved under the West Australian government's strategy for one of the world's last wilderness areas, Premier Colin Barnett says.
After two years of public consultation, Mr Barnett has unveiled the government's final Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy, which outlines the long-term conservation of the area.
In its previous two budgets, the government had announced $63 million in funding across the next five years for the strategy, which will include four new marine parks and a conservation reserve corridor.
Mr Barnett said the conservation and protection of the Kimberley is one of the greatest environmental responsibilities facing the government.
"It's one of the world's last remaining wilderness areas and needs to be protected forever," he told reporters.
"Its vast area of land is twice the size of Victoria with spectacular areas, mountains, rugged gorges, extreme weather conditions, rivers that carry immense amounts of water."
Despite its environmental importance, Mr Barnett said it would be unrealistic to rule out further mining, oil or gas developments and make the entire region a national park.
"There will be further development of the Kimberley but this will protect the best parts of the Kimberley and the most important parts and there's no reason this conservation estate won't be added to in the future," he said.
As announced last year, the centrepiece of the strategy is the Kimberley Wilderness Parks, which will establish WA's largest interconnected system of marine and terrestrial parks, covering 3.5 million hectares.
Four new marine parks will also be established in the Kimberley, protecting 48 per cent of the coastal waters in the region.
Both Conservation Council of WA and The Wilderness Society lauded the strategy.
Conservation Council of WA director Piers Verstegen said the strategy provided the resources needed to address critical shortfalls in science for the unique Kimberley marine environment and to address threats to Kimberley biodiversity.
"The strategy was an important election commitment of the Barnett government, and shows that the premier is responding to a strong and growing desire in the WA community for the Kimberley region to be protected for future generations," he said.
But WWF WA director Paul Gamblin said the government needed to address the growing pressure to industrialise the Kimberley.
Mr Gamblin said although it was the biggest investment in the state's history, it could be undermined by further development.
"Of course, no amount of money can replace species and habitats destroyed by mining or industry, so the government must resist growing pressure to turn precious parts of the Kimberley into a mine site or industrial park," he said.
Mr Barnett said he hoped environmental groups would back the plan but it "isn't a political strategy to win over green voters".
Under the strategy, Aboriginal people and traditional land owners will be trained and employed as rangers to manage the protected land and marine parks.
WA's Chamber of Minerals and Energy also backed the plan, welcoming a collaborative approach of government to work with key stakeholders and traditional land owners.
"The Kimberley region holds great economic and social promise, and CME looks forward to the opportunity to work with government on the implementation of the strategy to ensure a unique, lasting and substantial contribution to improved conservation, economic and social outcomes in the Kimberley," CME Director, Nicole Roocke said.
