Media statements - Parks and Wildlife Service

Media statements (440)

Camp safely these summer holidays

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 December 2018 14:01

With summer holidays just around the corner, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is reminding people to take care when camping in national parks. Tim Foley from the department’s Parks and Wildlife Service said while campfires were a valued part of the camping experience, there were restrictions in place during bushfire season. “For many people, toasting marshmallows over a campfire is considered an iconic camping experience, but during the summer months lighting an open fire, even when a fire ring is present, is simply not safe,” Mr Foley said. “Drier winters and hotter summers have raised the risk of bushfires across the south-west. “We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday, so we ask that all park users follow the rules and…

Aboriginal Ranger Program Round 2 applications open

Details: Published: Friday, 30 November 2018 10:23

Aboriginal Ranger Program delivering jobs and training in regional and remote WA $9 million available for Round 2 The McGowan Government is calling for expressions of interest for the second round of the Aboriginal Ranger Program. Under the program, new and existing Aboriginal organisations can employ and train rangers, and carry out land and sea management and tourism activities across a range of tenures in remote and regional Western Australia. A total of $8.45 million was allocated in the first round of funding, with $9 million available in this round for single or multi-year projects up to three years. Expressions of interest can be submitted to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and are open until March 15, 2019. An expression of interest application…

Brad Barton (DBCA), Phil Hay (DFES), Murray McBride (DFES), Tony Mennen (DBCA), Paul Roberts (DBCA), Peter Norman (DFES), Craig Edmonds (DFES), Christopher Kin-Maung (DFES), Tom Kenneally (DBCA), Benson Todd (DBCA)

Specialist WA incident managers deployed to Queensland fires

Details: Published: Thursday, 29 November 2018 16:12

WA continues to provide incident managers and frontline firefighters to Queensland Ten bushfire incident management experts from Western Australia have been deployed to Queensland this morning to assist in battling multiple fires across the State. The five officers from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' Parks and Wildlife Service and five from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services are highly skilled and experienced in a variety of incident management roles, including incident control, planning, logistics, operations and public information. This adds to the 28 DFES career and volunteer firefighters that arrived in Queensland yesterday to bolster frontline firefighting efforts.

Grants awarded to community groups to protect river

Details: Published: Wednesday, 14 November 2018 10:48

Nine volunteer groups will benefit from almost $260,000 in funding under the second round of the Community Rivercare Program. Round two funding will go towards weed control and foreshore restoration projects within the Swan Canning Catchment. The Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group and the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare will receive funding under the program to engage with the local community to extend the ecological corridor along the Canning River, providing habitat for native birds and aquatic species. Grant projects that will receive funding in round two include: Canning River foreshore restoration; Rehabilitation of the Canning River; Revegetation of the Helena River foreshore; Lesmurdie Brook weed control and rehabilitation; Melville Beach Road foreshore restoration; Wright Brook river catchment restoration project; Jarrah…

Japanese national charged with wildlife smuggling and animal cruelty

Details: Published: Friday, 09 November 2018 16:13

A 45-year-old Japanese man has been charged after he was intercepted at Perth International Airport allegedly attempting to smuggle six native bobtail lizards out of Australia. Acting on a information from Western Australia’s Parks and Wildlife Service, Australia Border Force (ABF) officers identified the man and carried out a full baggage examination as he attempted to catch a flight to Hong Kong yesterday (November 8, 2018). It will be alleged an x-ray of his check-in suitcase revealed the six bobtail lizards wrapped in paper towel and tightly packed inside a cloth bag. It will be further alleged that three of the lizards were taken from Rottnest Island, one from the Midwest region and two from the Perth metropolitan area, and that some had been kept…