Approach is frustrating

I READ with interest the article about Main Roads’ proposal to buy a parcel of land in Cullalla, as an offset for lost Carnaby’s black cockatoo habitat for the Mitchell Freeway extension.

In my opinion, a proper offset would be the re-vegetation of at least 88.7 ha of degraded or cleared land near that site and not something that already exists and is so far away located.

The 565ha north of Gingin would be worthless for the local cockatoos and all the other creatures who manage to escape the bulldozers. Any rational thinking person would know that the 88.7ha would still be missing.

Anyone who believes the promise that the 565ha are never to be cleared is a fool. One has only to look at the failed Bush Forever Scheme.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, between 2001 and 2009 6812ha of bush have been cleared in the metropolitan area alone. The hapless slash-and-burn approach of this Government is frustrating. Offset areas should have been planned and set up years ago.

You know…trees need time to grow.

Hundreds of hectares of pine plantations have been cleared (some of them years ago) and are yet to be re-vegetated. Some of those areas are a lot closer to that which is to be cleared.

With a little bit of foresight and smarter planning, those areas could have been a real offset and would have actually benefited the local wildlife.

THERES DREHER, Gnangara