New era for Swan and Canning rivers

• Swan River Trust and Department of Parks and Wildlife to be joined

• Amalgamation will strengthen management of WA's environment and river parks

• Merge delivers on election commitment

The Swan River Trust will be amalgamated with the newly formed Department of Parks and Wildlife to provide better protection and management for the Swan and Canning river systems.

Announcing the amalgamation today, Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the move fulfilled an election commitment to strengthen the management of Western Australia's environment and river parks.

"This will greatly improve the capacity for conservation action to benefit the rivers and reduce duplication," Mr Jacob said.

"The new arrangements will improve resources for the management and protection of the Swan and Canning rivers and their catchments."

The Minister said the department already had management responsibilities over parts of the rivers and their surrounding conservation reserves, as well as responsibility for significant areas of native vegetation in the catchment.

"This Government created the Department of Parks and Wildlife to deliver better, more focused conservation services and our river conservation efforts will be significantly boosted by combining the expertise and capacity of the two agencies.  It will also be enhanced by the involvement of its volunteer network of some 4,700 dedicated West Australians," he said.

"The department is already the employing authority for Swan River Trust staff and provides a range of corporate services to the trust.  This change will further streamline existing arrangements and will see more than 50 Swan River Trust staff join forces with about 1,600 department staff."

Mr Jacob said the new joint workforce would bring together scientists, conservation and ecosystem management experts, planners and landscape architects as well as project managers with expertise in delivering significant capital works.

The Swan River Trust Board will remain as an advisory body to the Minister for Environment and will continue to provide high level, independent advice on the protection of the river and related developments.

Legislation to give effect to the amalgamation is currently being drafted and amendments will be made to both the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 and the Swan and Canning Rivers Management Act 2006.

        Fact File

• Department of Parks and Wildlife is responsible for managing the State's national parks, marine parks, State forests and other reserves

• Swan River Trust currently manages the Swan Canning Riverpark, which comprises about 72 square kilometres of public land and adjoining river reserve along the Swan, Canning, Helena and Southern rivers

Minister's office - 6552 5800