Minutes 15-12-10 - Shire of Shark Bay

ORDINARY COUNCIL MINUTES – 15 DECEMBER 2010 19
Hamelin Pool Pastoral Co
PMB 72 via GERALDTON WA 6530 Ph 08 9942 5914 Fax 08 9942 5939
Email: hamelin@bigpond.com
22 nd November 2010
Paul Anderson
CEO
Shire of Shark Bay
Hughes St
Denham WA 6537
Dear Paul,
Re: Tenure of Hamelin Pool Common
We would like to express our concern regarding the proposal to divest the Shire of the management of
the Hamelin Pool Common and relinquish it to the Department of Environment and Conservation. We
feel it would be a hasty action and that it would be prudent for the Shire to review the proposal over the
next 12 months.
At a Hamelin Pool Common Advisory Committee meeting in June, the recommendation was made:-
That the Hamelin Pool Common Advisory Committee request the Chief Executive Officer to
research tenure options for the Hamelin Pool Common and these alternatives be presented to
Council for consideration.
At the most recent meeting of the above committee, the only option presented was that tenure be
offered to DEC. Has any research been undertaken regarding the pros and cons of the proposal and
has any other factor been taken into consideration other than the financial constraints for the Shire?
The above recommendation was made by the stakeholders of the Common and those wishes do not
appear to have been considered.
I was present as a visitor at the recent meeting of the Committee but Brian was excluded due to the
pecuniary interest factor as Hamelin Station is adjacent to the Common - this, despite the fact that
Hamelin Pool Telegraph Stn and Hamelin Stn have had representatives on that Committee since its
inception. We feel that as major stake holders in this issue, our interests are being ignored.
As reflected in the recent parliamentary review, DEC does not have a very good track record of land
management. The review highlights the poor management of thirty two DEC properties throughout
WA. It also points out that the Department has not adequately catered for the needs of native animals
across these properties and has failed to control feral animals and noxious vegetation. It also
highlights the fact that DEC has not practiced a good neighbour policy!
DEC already has control of a large percentage of the Shire of Shark Bay so why hand over more?
Access to the stromatolites is an issue for DEC at present but once a traffic management plan is
completed this issue will be resolved. Brett Fitzgerald undertook to produce a traffic management
plan at the June meeting and restated that commitment last week. An immediate solution could be
achieved by a simple resolution of Council to open the old access, as this is the way it was closed.
Tenure of the Common by DEC is not a prerequisite for this access.
The main impetus for the Shire to relinquish control of the Common appears to be financial. The only
real cost to the Shire over the past 30 years has been the relatively recent fencing to keep out stock
and feral animals. The fencing has been completed. There is some disagreement by the owners of
the Telegraph Stn regarding the adequacy of the fencing. When the occupiers of that property do not
allow water to flow in the Common, animals do not have a reason to enter the area. Hamelin Stn has
undertaken to monitor the fence and animal numbers and do so on a regular basis. Our daily counts
show that animals in the Common are not a problem. It is our intention to electrify at our own expense
the fencing on Hamelin Pool Road to the Hamelin Denham Road. Grids would be an expensive
solution and animals learn to cross grids. MRD replace grids with fences wherever feasible.