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Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Page: 2800

World Heritage Areas

(Question No. 1568)

Senator Waters asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 27 February 2012:

(1) Can the Minister advise how the Australian Government is discharging its World Heritage obligations in relation to managing Fraser Island.

(2) Did the Commonwealth Government provide any funding for Stage 1 of the Fraser Island Dingo Population Study, and is it providing any funding for Stage 2 of the study.

(3) When is the Stage 2 report due, and what caused the delay given that the Stage 1 report states its expected publication was July 2011.

(4) Does the Minister or department have a role in agreeing to and/or approving the Fraser Island dingo management strategy, and when will the strategy next be reviewed.

(5) Given that the Fraser Island Dingo Population Study was intended to inform the Fraser Island dingo management strategy on an ongoing basis, can the Minister advise how the findings of current studies are being incorporated in a timely fashion into the Fraser Island dingo management strategy, and/or operational procedures in managing the island.

Senator Conroy: The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The Australian Government discharges its World Heritage Obligations in relation to managing Fraser Island through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in which world heritage is afforded protection as a matter of national environmental significance. The 'matter protected' in relation to declared world heritage properties is the world heritage values of the property.

The Australian Government also works with the Queensland Government on the protection of the world heritage values of Fraser Island through the Fraser Island world heritage advisory committees. The day-to-day management of Fraser Island is undertaken by Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

(2) The Australian Government did not provide funding for the Fraser Island Dingo Population Study for either Stage 1 or 2.

(3) The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has advised that the Stage 2 preliminary report is due from the University of Queensland before the end of this financial year.

DERM has also advised that the timeframe for the final Stage 2 report was extended to allow the scientists additional time to finalise the statistical modelling.

(4) The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (the department) supported the draft Dingo Management Strategy through its membership on the Fraser Island World Heritage Management Committee.

The strategy was reviewed in 2006. Further review of the strategy is not currently scheduled, and is a matter for the Queensland Government to determine.

(5) The findings of the study are used by the Queensland Government in its day-to-day management and will be incorporated into the Dingo Management Strategy. The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities receives regular updates on the population study and the strategy via the Fraser Island world heritage advisory committees.

Future decisions relating to the strategy and operational management of Fraser Island are a matter for the Queensland Government.