The Western Australian Planning Commission has announced that its conservation program, Bush Forever, has marked 21 years of working with local communities to protect regionally-significant bushland within the Perth metropolitan region.
In a statement, the Commission said that from its formation at the turn of the century, the Bush Forever program set out to protect 51,200 hectares of significant bushland to retain the biodiversity of the Perth Region.
“Today, 99 per cent of this identified bushland remains intact, being afforded statutory protection within a Parks and Recreation reserve. An additional 400 hectares of native vegetation have also been added to Bush Forever since 2000,” the statement said.
“The protection of significant portions of bushland within metropolitan Perth has been achieved during a period of significant growth in Perth, with around 600,000 more people living in the city today compared to when Bush Forever was established.”
Minister for Planning, Rita Saffioti said Bush Forever had played a critical role in protecting much of Perth’s rich biodiversity over the past two decades.
“Even as our city has grown and we’ve delivered new and essential infrastructure, this farsighted collaborative program has ensured the protection of significant areas of bushland right across the metropolitan area,” Ms Saffioti said.
“The successes of Bush Forever are a positive reflection on its range of dedicated supporters and volunteers.”
She urged the public to go online to see the Bush Forever program in a clear and engaging way.
The Bush Forever story can be accessed at this PS News link.
