Did you attend one of our Eco May 2018 activities during the month of May? We were excited to promote over 100 fantastic eco-themed events and activities, organised by members of our community all over WA. We had everything from organic gardening and recycling workshops, to public events to ban fracking and Stop Adani.
In fact, we so enjoyed promoting your activities that we’ve created a permanent Eco Events Community Calendar for you to use as your sustainable activity guide all year round!
Check it out for some great upcoming events near you, and please share it with your networks too. If you would like to see your own activity listed, please message us a link to your Facebook event, and we’ll add it.
This can be a great resource for our community, and we look forward to seeing it full of your incredible activities!
What else happened in May? Read on for some more of your highlights!
A message from Sarah about #SupportSomethingIncredible:
“Incredible changes in history have been led by people like you, working together. And here in Western Australia it’s no different. From Ningaloo to the Beeliar Wetlands, from Citizen Science to the Supreme Court, we know what it takes for individuals and communities to succeed.
Every day, we are overwhelmed by the passion of people and community groups seeking our support. That’s why by donating to CCWA, you are partnering with thousands of people across Western Australia to protect nature and create a better future for all of us.
We hope you will be inspired to #SupportSomethingIncredible before June 30, the end of this financial year, and help create the changes you want to see in WA! You can give a tax-deductible gift here.
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated already - it’s thanks to you that together, we can achieve so much for our wildlife and environment.
This week, we were especially touched to receive a generous gift from our youngest donor yet - two-year-old Leila, whose family and friends were asked to donate to CCWA in lieu of gifts for her birthday. Thank you so much, and Happy Birthday Leila!”
A message from Piers about the prescribed burns in WA:
“The recent prescribed burns in Western Australia's South West have reminded us what a disaster the current fire management approach is for our wildlife and biodiversity.
Over the past few weeks, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA) burns have torn trough some of the most important areas for wildlife and biodiversity in the state, including our iconic Stirling Range National Park and Torndirrup National Park.
It appears that increases in funding for prescribed burning under successive governments has only increased the intensity and severity with which our forests and ecosystems are being incinerated.
There is no indication that the practice is being done more carefully, or more strategically. We simply have a higher number of larger fires every year, destroying more and more of our wildlife, as agencies try to achieve burning targets that bear no relationship to biodiversity science, or to effective risk management.
It is time for an independent inquiry into the whole approach to prescribed burning including the damage it is doing, what benefit it provides, and whether it is counterproductive. This inquiry must examine other options for rapid-detection and fast response bushfire suppression, strategic protection of assets, and other ways to manage fire risk.
Conservation groups and scientists are calling for an independent, Parliamentary Inquiry into this issue as a matter of urgency.” Read more here.
A message from Kate about WA’s largest polluters:
“In May, we welcomed a review of conditions imposed on Chevron, WA’s largest polluter, to control carbon pollution from their giant Gorgon LNG facility on Barrow Island. The review was triggered by Environment Minister Stephen Dawson, and was posted on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website on 9 May.
The announcement comes six months after we called for Chevron to suspend production at the facility until it could control its carbon pollution, so this is a positive step forward. As WA’s largest polluter (set to produce 20 million tonnes of carbon pollution per year), it’s crucial that Chevron takes action on climate change.
Despite admitting that climate change is warming sand temperatures and changing the sex ratios of baby turtles, Chevron has ignored its obligations on climate change so far.
If Chevron chooses to address its pollution problem it would help protect our turtle population, as well as create new jobs and investment in carbon farming, renewable energy, and clean technology for a significant number of Western Australians.”
A message from Piers about the State Budget for 2018 - 2019:
“Earlier in May, we attended WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt’s budget briefing for the next financial year, and I thought you might like to know how the new State Budget will affect our environment and the issues that matter to you.
As always, the budget provides some interesting insights into the priorities of our State Government. Key features of this budget include:
- One-off funding for new national parks and Aboriginal Rangers, including $10m in new funds for the Preston and Leschenault Regional Parks
- Baseline funding for environment agencies returning to the low levels provided under the Barnett Government in future years
- Household electricity costs increase, while almost $300 million is committed to maintaining old and polluting fossil-fueled energy generators
- Very little contribution to the State Budget from Chevron’s giant LNG processing facilities, which began production this year and will be WA’s largest source of carbon pollution
Here's the video we made after the budget briefing from Treasurer Ben Wyatt. And if you have a bit more time, you might also like to read our blog post, which goes into a bit more detail on each of these items.
One of the more surprising things in this state budget is that it reveals that there’s very little contribution to the state finances being made by the very large LNG sector. With no royalties or taxes paid to our state, companies like Chevron take huge profits offshore - and leaves us with a big pollution problem!
This is why we will continue to push for Chevron and other gas companies to clean up their pollution in ways that will deliver more jobs and investment here in WA - in industries such as carbon farming, renewable energy, and clean technology.”
A message from KA about Nuclear Free WA:
“We are now busily preparing for this year’s 7th annual Walkatjurra Walkabout. For many, the one month walk from Wiluna to Leonora is a life changing experience to see, hear, and listen to the stories from Traditional Owners on their country about the 40 year campaign to stop uranium mining on Aboriginal land. You can get more information and register for the walk here.
We are also aware that soon, Minister Frydenberg will choose between a uranium mine and the survival of unique stygofauna species found nowhere else on the planet. Living underground, the wildlife under threat at Yeelirrie is very rarely seen, but our environmental laws are supposed to protect all creatures great and small. The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has warned that the mine would cause extinction - please ask Minister Frydenberg to make the right decision!”
A message from Shona about Greater Brixton St Wetlands:
“Early in the morning on 10 May, concerned scientists and locals gathered in Greater Brixton St Wetlands for Coffee with the Cockies, a community breakfast and information session on how to save an important Red Tail Black Cockatoo roost from being cleared by developers.
We heard from passionate experts like botanist Cate Tauss and local resident Regina Drummond, before embarking on a walk together to learn more about this special site. The roost provides safety and shelter to hundreds of threatened Red Tail Black Cockatoos and their young every night, and without it, these beautiful birds will be more vulnerable than ever.
Due process has not been followed and no detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has occurred, and once again it is up to us as a community to hold developers and government to account, and make sure our environmental laws are properly followed.
Please join Save Brixton St Wetlands on Facebook, and use the hashtag #EyesOnBrixtonSt to draw more attention to this issue. And stay tuned for more ways to take action soon!”
A message from Bea about our Citizen Science program:
“In May, we acknowledged World Turtle Day and International Day for Biological Diversity - you can check out our blog posts here! If you’d like to hear from me every few weeks and stay up-to-date on our CCWA Citizen Science program, you can also sign up to our new e-newsletter.”
And a taste of what’s to come…
- Thu 7 Jun: Count Me In Perth - conversations on climate as part of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)’s national tour at City West Lotteries House, West Perth
- Thu 21 Jun: Albatross the Film - with Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Campaign Australia & Plastic Free July at the Fremantle Sailing Club, Fremantle
- Check out our new Eco Events Community Calendar for more great events near you!
Thank you for everything you do for our wildlife and environment - we’re so grateful to have you in our community!
See you soon,
Sarah and the team at CCWA
P.S. If you’re working on an environmental issue and would like advice, resources, or to set up an online action through us, check out our community campaigns tool!
