TREES across Perth have been afforded national environmental protection.
The Federal Government has listed tuart woodlands and forest on the swan coastal plain as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The swan coastal plain runs from Jurien to Busselton and key areas of Tuart woodlands include Trigg Bushland, Bold Park, Woodman Point and Yanchep National Park.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWA WA Local Government Association report said they were known within 20 local government areas including Cambridge, Fremantle, Joondalup, Nedlands, South Perth, Stirling and Wanneroo.
But more than 80 per cent of Tuart woodlands and forests had been lost, with 5700ha or 5 per cent of the remainder protected in reserves.
“Protection of these woodlands and forests, containing the largest trees on the Swan Coastal Plain, also protects habitat for a range of threatened species, including the western ringtail possum and black cockatoos,” it said.
The conservation advice aims to mitigate the risk of Tuart’s extinction by protection from significant impacts, and management and recovery guidance.
Tuarts are not protected at the State level but the listing means development likely to impact the woodlands requires approval by the Australian Department of Environment and Energy.
The report described planting offsets as a “last consideration” and said preventing impacts on water availability, weed invasion, diseases and grazing were high priorities.