Local Biodiversity Strategy: - Shire of Kalamunda

The economic values of protecting the remaining biological resources are vast.
Some of these costs have now been estimated. The Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), for example, have estimated the cost of
rehabilitating degraded ecological systems at around $1 billion annually.
Addressing environmental degradation can be extremely expensive so it is better
to try to prevent degradation occurring to reduce long term costs. If prevention of
degradation is impossible, then costs can be reduced by strategic and timely
conservation actions with regard to protection of natural areas and rehabilitation.
The conservation of biodiversity has ethical benefits. The presence of a wide
range of living organisms reminds people that they are but one interdependent
part of Earth. The Earth belongs to the future as well as the present; no single
species or generation can claim it as its own. This is an idea that has been
reflected in the vision statement drafted by the Steering Group (refer to Section
6).
Biodiversity is likely to have values that are unknown to us today but will present
opportunities to future generations of West Australians, and these opportunities
should be protected through a precautionary approach to minimise impacts from
today’s activities.
4 Threats to the Shire of Kalamunda’s Biodiversity
There are a number of threats to the management and ongoing viability of natural
areas. They range from factors that can be controlled (e.g. weeds) to factors that
are global or exist outside the land managers control (e.g. climate change,
inappropriate fire regimes).
The Local Biodiversity Strategy aims to address these threats through the
incorporation of land use planning controls, policy formulation and on-ground
management. The main threats to biodiversity in the Shire of Kalamunda are detailed
below.
4.1 Subdivision and Development Approval
Until recently, biodiversity conservation has not been considered an important aspect
in land use planning. Activities such as subdivision have therefore led to widespread
clearing of endemic vegetation. This is apparent where urban areas have been
subdivided and the retention of areas with biodiversity conservation value has not
been considered a priority. It is apparent that degradation of remnant vegetation has
occurred where rural zones have been changed to special rural zones and led to
smaller lot sizes, without the retention of vegetation.
Protection of biodiversity needs to be considered in the early stages of the land use
planning process. This consideration will require detailed desktop assessment during
the structure planning phase of subdivisions.
Land capability analysis is required during subdivision of land zoned for special rural
and rural composite uses. This analysis must consider retention of remnant
Local Biodiversity Strategy Page 17