A commitment today by the state government to review the Biodiversity Conservation Act (BC) 2016 has been welcomed by the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) as a critical step forward for nature.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said this would be the first review of the BC Act which came into force in 2019 and was desperately needed to strengthen the protections and regulations for WA’s biodiversity.
“Every year the status of threatened species in WA lurches from bad to worse,” Mr Roberts said.
“We continue to clear critical habitat, with restoration and preservation of these areas becoming increasingly difficult due to climate change and declining rainfall.”
“We’ve already lost 80% of Banksia Woodlands, our Northern Jarrah Forest is at risk of collapse, and in some areas of WA up to 90% of original vegetation has been cleared. It’s death by a thousand cuts.”
“We’re really pleased the state government has put the environment back on the agenda and we can now look to get nature laws right to ensure the protection of threatened species and ecological communities.”
Mr Roberts said the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has warned that transformative change is urgently needed. It warned, ‘there is a closing window of opportunity to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and to prevent triggering the potentially irreversible decline and the projected collapse of key ecosystem functions’.
“Last year we saw the federal environment law reform process derailed by industry groups who benefit from weak nature laws and regulation; we cannot allow this review to be derailed in the same way.”
“Time is running out for many species and we are looking forward to working across the environment sector and our member groups to ensure we get the strongest protections and restorations for WA’s threatened species and ecological communities.”
CCWA has been advocating for the review as part of its "Back from the Brink: a protection agenda for nature" - with the full report set to be launched by mid-year.
Urban Bushland Council WA Chairperson Christine Richardson said the Urban Bushland Council welcomes the opportunity for public consultation provided by the recently announced external review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
"The recommendation of the report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) on the Conservation of Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) in WA in 2025 was clear evidence of how the BC Act has been failing biodiversity.
"That review substantiated UBC’s long-standing concerns that TECs are not being adequately protected in WA, and that much stronger measures are needed if we are to halt and reverse the state’s biodiversity crisis. Our members can see this biodiversity loss in the places where they live in metropolitan Perth.
"We share a vision of protecting all of WA’s threatened ecological communities, saving threatened species, and ensuring that no new extinctions occur in our magnificent state."
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780
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