Kaarakin wildlife and clinic manager Louise Hopper introduces the Member for East Metropolitan Region Alison Xamon to Jason the cockatoo. MEMBER for East Metropolitan Region Alison Xamon says protecting the remaining forest areas in the State will help protect rare and endangered cockatoos.

The comments came after Ms Xamon attended a Conservation Council of WA meeting earlier this month, which heard from experts on the topic Why WA’s rare and endangered cockatoos are starving.

“It is quite clear that our native cockatoos, in particular the Carnabys, Baudins and Forest Red Tailed Black Cockatoos are under threat and this has been attributed to a combination of land clearing, drought and fire,” she said.

Ms Xamon said her Private Member’s Bill, The Perth Hills Planning Bill, which was due to be debated this year in Parliament would help address the issue.

“The Bill promotes sustainable, appropriate and integrated land use planning and development in the Perth Hills area and, if passed, would likely see the protection of critical cockatoo feeding and breeding habitat,” she said.

“The current cockatoo crisis is simply the result of a serious lack of appropriate land planning.

“Now is the time to address this before these already endangered species become extinct.

“Part of the answer is to ensure we protect our remaining forest areas including in the Perth Hills region, which themselves are under increasing pressure from development and mining.”