The NSW Government proposed that as a result of the development of the Sydney Growth Centres that a $530 million conservation offset program would be established to protect Priority Conservation Areas within the Cumberland Plain. Has there been any reduction in that amount? If so, why and what is the new proposed amount? Has any funding been given to the Department of Climate Change and the Environment (DECC) from the conservation offset program and if so what amount? Has DECC received any of the Sydney Growth Centres conservation funding? If so, how much? If DECC has received Growth Centres funding, has any of it been spent acquiring Western Sydney Priority Conservation Areas? If so, what sites have been acquired? How much did they cost? If not, what has the received funding been spent on? Does DECC intend to spend any of the Sydney Growth Centres Conservation Offset Program Funding on acquiring land outside of the Cumberland Plain? Is the success of DECC's proposed Cumberland Plain Recovery Plan dependent on the Sydney Growth Centres Conservation Offset Program Funding? If not why? Will the success of the Recovery Plan depend on the protection of Western Sydney Priority Conservation Areas? How does DECC propose to protect those areas? Has DECC held discussions with the Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council about the conservation of the Priority Conservation Areas in their ownership? If so, what outcomes were reached? The ADI Site contained populations of Eastern Grey and Red Kangaroos. How many Kangaroos were on the site prior to the commencement of the program to reduce the Kangaroo population? What methods were used to reduce the Kangaroo population? How many Kangaroos were killed as a result of the population reduction program? How many died whilst being herded, how many died during treatment and how many died post treatment? How did they die during the process? How many Red Kangaroos are left and how was their population reduced? How many Eastern Grey Kangaroos are currently on the site? What was the involvement of Tony English in the population reduction program? Were University Researchers involved in the trialling of any contraceptive drugs on the Kangaroos? If so, who were they and from what Universities and what drugs were trialled? Was it the case that the female Kangaroos were first implanted with a contraceptive and then some time later surgically sterilised? Does the Minister believe that the population reduction program was implemented humanely?
No, the amount remains at $530 million in 2005⁄06 dollar values over a 30-40 year period in line with future development. Not Applicable. Yes. The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has received or will receive a total of $1,978,000 in current dollar values over the two year period for 2008⁄09 and 2009⁄10. Yes. See response to Question 2. A portion of the future allocations of the Growth Centres funding for the three years 2010⁄11 to 2012⁄13 has been committed as repayments for the purchase of the proposed new reserve at Cranebrook. Not Applicable Not Applicable Of the $1,978,000 allocated to the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water for 2008⁄09 and 09⁄10, $583,000 has or will be spent on assessing and identifying properties for possible expenditure. The remaining $1,395,000 will be spent this financial year on either acquiring appropriate sites or establishing a biobanking agreement on the best available land, consistent with the priorities approved in the certification. As required by the Growth Centres Certification, acquiring land outside of the Cumberland Plain could be a second preference if no suitable land is available within the Cumberland Plain. The proposed Cumberland Plain Recovery Plan has four main objectives, of which only one directly benefits from land acquisitions through the Growth Centres Conservation Offset Program Funding. See above. Yes. The recovery plan promotes a range of conservation mechanisms to secure biodiversity outcomes within the western Sydney priority conservation lands. It is intended that the complementary measures will include formal reservation, voluntary conservation agreements, environmental protection zoning, BioBanking agreements, joint management agreements and conservation incentives funding programs on private or public land. Yes. The discussion related to the possible implications for the land council of having portions of its land identified in the priority conservation lands. No specific decisions were taken from these initial discussions. Approx. 2275 3200 eastern grey kangaroos and 248 448 red kangaroos Female contraceptive implant and surgical sterilisation. There have been 420 mortalities directly related to the surgical sterilisation process (2202 sterilisation procedures have been performed out of approximately 5667 capture events where some animals were captured more than once). Approximately 369 mortalities have been attributed to the pre-sterilisation process (e.g. herding, transport, sedating and anaesthetising). 16 mortalities were recorded during the surgery process. Approximately 35 mortalities have been attributed to post-treatment activities (e.g. transport and release). Natural causes, pre-existing conditions, surgery related, musculoskeletal, post capture stress syndrome and respiratory distress during transport. Approximately 230 remain. The population was treated in the same way as the Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Approximately 1790. Emeritus Professor English is the independent Supervisory Veterinarian. No. A drug was chosen based on accepted current practice. Not Applicable Yes (1662 females were implanted) Yes the population reduction program was the most humane management option for this population of macropods.