Major Perth development fined for clearing protected black cockatoo habitat

1 week ago 3

A major residential development in Perth’s northern suburbs has copped a fine from the federal government after endangered black cockatoo habitat within the site was cut down, in breach of its environmental approval plan.

An excavation company, working for developer Peet, was fined $19,800 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act for removing hectares of habitat Peet had agreed to retain as part of its plans for a new housing estate in Eglinton.

This gif shows the recent clearing that occurred in Eglinton between December 2024 and February 2025.

But the Australian Conservation Foundation is concerned the relatively small fine and current environment laws meant developers could clear land and sell it for much more than the penalty.

An urgent overhaul of those laws will be fast-tracked into parliament this year, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging new Environment Minister Murray Watt to deliver a revamped version before December – six months earlier than originally planned.

Foundation lead environmental investigator Annica Schoo said more than 370 sightings of black cockatoos – often spotted in pairs as they mated for life – had been recorded around the cleared area over the past five years.

She said the land meant to be set aside for those birds was small in comparison to the land approved for clearing.

“If developers went through the official process required to clear more land, it is likely they would be rejected given approvals are granted under particular environmental conditions,” Schoo said.

“If it was approved, it would be under the condition that another area is saved instead and that is much more work than a fine that probably would not even be brought to the attention of those at the top.

“The real tragedy is that these birds are a living species that have a right to continue to live, but that chance is being taken away.

“This is death by a thousand cuts.”

A Peet spokesperson said earlier this year the company had been “made aware of an inadvertent clearing of a conservation area” by a contractor on a site in Eglinton.

“This occurred despite control measures being in place and the site being identified by Peet as an area for conservation, not development,” the spokesperson said.

“Peet immediately notified the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water which undertook a thorough investigation into the matter, and found Peet did not breach the conditions of its approval.

“Although we were not responsible for the inadvertent clearing, we are prioritising restoration of the site by working with government at all levels and other involved parties to progress rehabilitation works as quickly as possible.”