Position Statement:

1. The Inglehope Thinning Trials remain a key scientific site for DBCA. Among many recent studies at this site, the historic measurements have guided the silvicultural prescriptions and were used to calibrate a physiological growth model and forecast future growth scenarios under a drying climate to inform the current Forest Management Plan 2014-2023. They will continue to play an essential role in forest monitoring programs according to a DBCA Executive Director.

2. Marked on the Zoning map as Scientific Study Area within the Murray Basin Wilderness Zone it would follow that this site would not be cleared for mining and that any mining within the Murray Basin Catchment Area could potentially impact on this site. The removal of the bauxite layer and replacement with a start over forest has significant hydrological impacts including reducing the water holding capacity of the soil and a new soil profile stratum, the new start over forest would affect the confined and semi-confined aquifers in the basin effecting the site’s usefulness for a control area or scientific reference area.

3. Last Harvested Coups are mapped, and sign posted in and around Dwellingup with some of the oldest Pre 1920s within the area proposed to be mined. As a value as a Demonstration Forest the six time periods represented within the Dwellingup Discovery Forest complement the Wellington Discovery Forest values.

4. The scientific study, education and nature-based tourism values are critical for Dwellingup being able to achieve its full potential as tourist town. “Old Growth Review” should be broadened to include areas which were not degraded in any way through the harvesting process, particularly those which were carefully harvested under Hygiene Management Plans within a Disease Risk Forest Area quarantined since 1976.

5. According to a Professor from WA’s Curtain University, Alcoa remove a 300 plus year old forest ecosystem. There is no evidence that this ecosystem can be reinstated to its full ecological functionality and ecological resilience and restoration is not able to reinstate all understory species in the numbers and diversity to ensure compliance with a native reference ecosystem, according to the National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration.

6. Western Australians have less native forest and less intact native forest than in recent evolutionary history particularly in the northern jarrah forest sub-region; much of our forest has lost the most aged, habitat rich trees. Restoration cannot reinstate old growth forest and it is uncertain in a drying climate whether the restoration will achieve old growth status at all.

7. Dwellingup community position is for the retention of remote or wilderness areas in quarantine and long term protected drinking water catchment areas close to population centres as they have high profile scientific reference study and education values and potential for nature-based ecotourism combined with controlled access. There is a great potential for expedition skills courses such as those run out of Pemberton based on the few management tracks existing and the high density of shield trees. There is also the potential for field study courses such as those run out of the Perup Nature Reserve taking advantage of the remote fauna habitat protection zones in and around Dwellingup.

The mining proposal before the Environmental Protection Authority should be refused based on multiple and cumulative social, economic and environmental impacts, however, as a fall back the Dwellingup Community Compact would be prepared to accept Conditional Approval subject to the Premier and relevant Ministers, extending the existing “indefinitely deferred zone” through amendment of Ministerial Statement 728 as a condition and interim measure to protect the Dwellingup Discovery Forest area from the impacts of bauxite mining until a new or amended State Agreement Act or some other legislation can be put in place.