Conservation Council welcomes rejection of Rockingham marina development

The Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA) has described the rejection of a proposed canal-marina and housing development at Rockingham’s Mangles Bay as a “win for community and the environment”.

Western Australian Planning Minister Rita Saffioti rejected the proposed development at the end of last week, based on fears that it could decimate Western Australia's little penguin population.

Nearly 500 submissions were received against the canal-marina and housing development proposal during the planning process, and a wide range of scientists, conservationists, fishers, and members of the local community had spoken out against the project.

CCWA Director Piers Verstegen congratulated Minister Saffioti on a “responsible decision that shows the McGowan Government is listening to the community”.

Verstegen advised “the Mangles Bay Marina proposal was always going to present problems for the environment, and a canal estate was never a good idea in this location, but the Barnett Government had taken a particularly concerning approach to the development.

“The proposal would have had serious impacts on fish breeding and feeding grounds for little penguins, by degrading water quality in Mangles Bay and impacting seagrass through dredging and nutrient pollution.

“The impact on the unique and threatened ecology of Lake Richmond was also a major problem with the proposal, which was highlighted by the Planning Commission.

“Rejecting this proposal is the right thing to do. It protects jobs in fishing and tourism, it protects the environment, and it responds to the overwhelming sentiment in the community that the development is not wanted.

“Congratulations are also due to the tireless local community group, Hands off Point Peron, who have fought so hard for a long time to see this area protected. Their passion and perseverance has paid off and it demonstrates how local community action to defend the environment is so important, because this outcome would not have been achieved without them.

“We hope the WA Government will now move ahead to implement the Coastal Park concept that has been developed by the local community as a responsible and popular way to increase tourism and recreation opportunities, while protecting the fragile environmental values of Point Peron for future generations.”

With Murdoch University research showing that populations of little penguins - formerly known as fairy penguins - have halved since 2011, the Conservation Council feared the proposed Mangles Bay Marina would "finish-off" remaining colonies.

Recent surveys conducted by one of the signatories, Murdoch University researcher Belinda Cannell, found more than a quarter of penguins found dead in the metropolitan area were killed by boats.

She said the increase in boating activity from a new marina would only make this problem more common.

Dr Cannell advised “we see birds that have got their flippers cut off their feet cut off, have got cuts on their backs, beheaded, ruptured organs.” 

Images: Cape Peron, Rockingham (top) and Little Penguins at Rockingham (below).

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