URGENT please comment re Beharra Sand Mining Operations at Geraldton which will impact Carnaby's Black Cockatoos

Dear CCA members,
I apologise for two emails in the one day – both asking for action – but there is another proposal before the EPA which threatens critical habitat for Carnaby’s black-cockatoo, this time in the Geraldton area. I have been asked to bring this to your notice.

Are you able to put in a comment on this proposal as well as the Ravensthorpe Lithium Project – they are both part of the same story - ‘loss of habitat of the Endangered Carnaby’s black-cockatoo’?

Again we need to ask for the proposal to be assessed at the level of ‘Public Environmental Review’.

There is FIVE days left to comment on the EPA referral for the huge Beharra sand mining operations around Geraldton which involves a massive 540 hectares of Banksia heath - and another 90ha of swampland that includes Banksia. This is essential foraging area for flocks in the immediate post-breeding season (when needing to stock up on food and feed dependent young) AND the consultants (Bamfords) reported suspected breeding birds foraging within the site during breeding season, and noted that there was breeding habitat within daily foraging distance of the site.

**If you have only 2 minutes, go here Beharra Silica Sand Project - Environmental Protection Authority - Citizen Space (epa.wa.gov.au)
And click on “Complete this form to comment on the referred proposal” – and ask for it to be assessed by the EPA at the level of “Public Environmental Review”

**If you have 5 minutes, add a couple of notes as per below to give your reasons.
Quick summary of key points (these points have been compiled following a careful review of the referral documents)
• Carnaby’s cockatoos are continuing to decline towards extinction because of lack of foraging habitat NOW – so the only way to reverse their declines is to give them MORE foraging habitat, not less.
• Government regulators, including the EPA, have so far failed to halt Carnaby’s cockatoo declines, let alone reverse them. Clearly something needs to start being done differently by regulators
• It is well known that the only way to reverse black-cockatoo declines is to halt and reverse habitat loss in the immediate term. This mine site will involve clearing of 538 ha of banksia heath (and another 90 ha of other vegetation), full of several different Banksia species that are primary food sources for Carnaby’s cockatoos, in an area that is known to be a foraging area for post-breeding flocks (when they return to coastal areas after breeding inland, with their dependent young), and in an area where surveys indicate that there may be some local breeding too, including suspected breeding birds feeding INSIDE the proposed clearing footprint.
• There are also several known roost sites close to this proposed clearing site, together housing several hundred Carnaby’s cockatoos that all need enough foraging habitat nearby to sustain them while they are at those roosts.
• Importantly, due to seasonality of food availability, at any one time most foraging habitat may not be producing fruit/flowers (food sources), so sufficient habitat needs to be retained to ensure there is always some food available for local flocks.
• Very importantly, the mine proponents say they will rehabilitate the area after mining, but it is well known there is no way known at present to restore Banksia habitat effectively – and no evidence that a way will be found.
If you have been able to make comment on this, thank you!
Kind regards,
Rosemary Jasper

Chairperson,
Cocanarup Conservation Alliance Inc.
PO Box 30
Ravensthorpe 6346
Ph: 0428 123 400
https://cca.asn.au/

Posted on April 26, 2023 11:00 AM by kezzza4