13/04/2005 - Applications
to include three places on the Illawarra Escarpment
and the Woronora Plateau in the National Heritage
List under the emergency listing provisions
of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation (EPBC) Act have not been successful.
The Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, has accepted departmental
advice that the Nepean River between Douglas
Park and Menangle, the Dendrobium Mine Project
Site and 22 Illawarra Escarpment Mine Sites
do not meet the requirements for emergency
listing under the federal environmental law.
"I am advised that the Illawarra Escarpment
and Woronora Plateau, of which the mine sites
are a part, may have National Heritage value
for their high species richness but this value
is not under threat," Senator Campbell
said.
"Species richness in the Dendrobium
Mine area is already protected under federal
environmental law by a previous decision under
the Act."
Senator Campbell said that while clearing
for housing development was a possible future
threat for the 22 Illawarra mine sites, the
only current development application before
local government did not involve clearing.
"The Nepean River between Douglas Park
and Menangle, on the evidence available to
my department at this time, does not have
National Heritage values," he said.
"However, all three places are included
in an existing nomination for national heritage
for the Wara-n'hayara Plateau Area, which
the Australian Heritage Council is currently
assessing for its National Heritage values.
"On 10 February 2005, I asked the Australian
Heritage Council to assess this standard nomination
and this process is under way.
"The legislation allows 12 months for
the Council to provide me with their assessment
of these places."
Applications to emergency list places on
the National Heritage List are made directly
to the Minister. Emergency listing provides
a process for the Minister to protect places
with outstanding heritage value to the nation
that are under threat.
Further information about Australia's national
heritage system can be found at www.deh.gov.au/heritage/national
