Cockatoo blues

“The current controls aren’t working and are pushing native wildlife closer to the brink – we need a more comprehensive approach.” —David Wake. Image: iStock ENVIRONMENTAL experts say a population shift of WA’s iconic Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) will put more pressure on habitats that are rapidly being lost to development without effective laws to protect them.
Murdoch University Dean of Environmental Science and former WA Conservation Commission chairman John Bailey says the state’s Wildlife Protection Act, which has not been updated in more than 60 years, is “woefully inadequate” for dealing with current threats to endangered species.
He says the lack of comprehensive statewide biodiversity legislation means conservation and planning laws are not well integrated and look at each case individually instead of a wider scale.
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is threathend by logging. Image by lostandcoldTHE Conservation Commission of WA’s Forest Management Plan 2014–2023 Environmental Scoping Document is meeting with fierce opposition from academic and environmental groups.
The major concern is expansion of native forest logging.
WATCH OUT: Motorists have been warned to watch out for black cockatoos which are drinking and feeding on roadsides, leading to vehicle strikes . Picture: Leighton De BarrosDRIVERS have been warned to watch out for black cockatoos, after 13 have been killed by passing vehicles near the South Coast Highway in recent weeks.