A private company has been fined $160,000 and ordered to pay court costs of more than $16,900 in the Mandurah Magistrates Court, after 11 hectares were illegally cleared at a Pinjarra property.
The company required approvals from the Shire of Murray – the landowner – to undertake the vegetation clearing during drain construction works.
The company was convinced of the two offences under the Planning and Development Act 2005 on April 20.
The sentence was one of two separate convictions, with a Shire of Murray resident fined $35,000 and court costs for illegally clearing native vegetation at a North Dandalup property.
The resident was found guilty during an appearance on April 16.
According to shire chief executive officer Dean Unsworth, the resident carried out the work without the necessary approvals from the Shire of Murray or Department of Water and Environment Regulation.
Mr Unsworth said the court agreed the volume and quality of vegetation cleared was significant and irreversible and the fine reflected the seriousness of the offence.
He said the clearing of such a large amount of bushland was a significant environmental loss especially in a wetland area, which was the unfortunate reality in this case.
“Wetlands are of vital importance in our landscape as they provide important habitat and help naturally filter the water in our region,” Mr Unsworth said.
Under the Planning and Development Act 2005, landowners could face penalties of up to $200,000 for carrying out development without the necessary prior approvals.
“The Shire hopes that these cases highlight the severity of illegal land clearing and deter others from clearing vegetation on their property without approval,” he said.
“The shire, its residents and businesses must work together to protect our unique natural environment by following the correct process,” Mr Unsworth said.
The shire encourages landowners to contact its Environment Services team on (08) 9531 7777 prior to carrying out any clearing.
