Cockatoo halts Mandurah mega-development
Friday, January 9, 2009 at 9:27 
Carnaby's cockatoo has halted a massive residential development in Mandurah. Photo: Chris ThomsonA proposed Mandurah mega-development will have to get approval from Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett after a government department decided it would affect the endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo.
Bridgewater North, which would sit on 30 hectares overlooking Peel Inlet, is being proposed by developer Mirvac. It would have 570 dwellings, including four apartment towers between eight and 12 storeys high and several three-storey terrace houses.
Mirvac flagged the proposal last year, but after submitting an assessment to the federal Environment Department, was told the development could have a "significant impact" on foraging habitat for the cockatoo.
The department also wanted more information on the potential impact the development could have on the Peel Yalgorup wetland system.
It considered the development would not properly prevent access to the Chimneys wetlands and that building setbacks of up to 70 metres were not sufficient to prevent human impacts on the wetlands or to compensate for likely sea level rises.
The department believes there should be a 100 metre buffer, which is also the distance recommended by the WA Planning Commission.
It told Mirvac that the development as submitted would not "suitably allow" for the long-term protection of the cockatoo and "strongly" encouraged the company to retain larger areas for habitat.
The cockatoo, which is native to south west WA, is classified as endangered by the Federal Government due to land clearing which reduced its foraging roosting and breeding habitats. They feed in higher-rainfall areas near the coast.
Mirvac WA chief executive Evan Campbell said the company believed the development plans satisfied environmental concerns.
"We are hoping to progress with the project in the near future," he said.
Mr Garrett only approved the $1.76 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital development in July last year after agreement was reached with the then-Labor state government to protect the cockatoo.
The agreement included $275,000 for research into the cockatoo and $575,000 for community participation in conservation programs.
There will also be land restoration and rehabilitation to provide foraging habitat next to and nearby the 32 hectare development site in Murdoch. This is expected to be twice the area that is set aside for the buildings.
Mr Garrett said then that he wanted to ensure future projects that threatened the cockatoo's habitat provided mitigation and offset measures that delivered a "comparable level of protection" for the bird as the hospital project did.
Documents related to the Bridgewater North development are now available to be viewed by the public until February 9 before Mr Garrett further considers the matter.