Ms O’CONNOR – question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN –
Having listened to the answer to the member for Murchison’s question, is it your expectation then that the State Coastal Policy, once it has been through this process, would be amended in order to enable more development on mobile coastal landforms? If that is the case, what role will the Climate Change Office have in advising you on any changes to the State Coastal Policy so we are not making changes that put, for example, coastal communities at risk of sea level rise, inundation and storm surge if there is more development allowed on the coast?
ANSWER
Mr President, I thank the member for the question. Look, allowing more development on our coast: no, that is not what we are seeking to do here. There has to be a mechanism to allow some development on the coast because we have infrastructure that interacts with the coast and with the sea. There is no other place to put a wall for a coastal dunes golf course than in those environments. We are doing the appropriate work; the draft changes will go out for consultation and people will have the opportunity to pursue.
Ms O’Connor – Advice from a climate office?
Mr DUIGAN – Of course they would be a stakeholder when you are looking at State Coastal Policy. I think that is a very reasonable and sensible place to be and happy to give that one a tick.
