Mining companies the largest leasholder of Western Australian pastoral land
WA land owned increasingly by conservation and mining Science Network Western Australia, 29 April 2013 “The research focused on pastoral country from the edge of the Wheatbelt up to and including the Pilbara, which historically has been held under pastoral leases owned by families and used for grazing such as sheep and cattle stations”—Dr van Etten. Image: Stefan Jurgensen RESEARCHERS say an increasing amount of land in Western Australia is being managed for environmental conservation, however mining companies are the single largest lease holder of what was previously pastoral land.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) research recently completed a study into the changes in land tenure and ownership of pastoral leases in WA, exploring the implications for land management and conservation. The findings show a strong trend towards government and non-government organisations purchasing pastoral leases for environmental conservation in the form of nature reserves, however mining companies are now the single largest new group of lease holders and are solely responsible for the sustainable management of large amounts of land.
ECU School of Ecosystem Management’s Eddie van Etten says a variety of groups have purchased pastoral leases in the last five decades and for many, making a profit from pastoralism is no longer a priority……
“The major groups include the Department of Environment and Conservation which purchased many pastoral leases and are in the process of converting these lands for conservation, as well as Indigenous groups who sometimes maintain pastoral uses but largely buy for maintaining cultural traditions.”
For the central rangelands of Western Australia, government agencies, predominantly environmental, have purchased approximately nine per cent of pastoral leases by area; private conservation organisations, less than one per cent; aboriginal communities and groups, seven per cent; and mining companies 13 per cent…..
However, Dr van Etten says the single largest group of new leaseholders are mining companies, particularly in resource-rich areas such as the Goldfields and the Pilbara.
“There has definitely been a trend towards using land for conservation in Western Australia, however my message would also be that mining companies are now the managers of large areas of land,” he says….. http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/agriculture/item/2103-wa-land-owned-increasingly-by-conservation-and-mining.html
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