Around 20 people dressed in black wings laid on the steps of Western Australia’s Parliament on Wednesday, calling attention to the fast decline of black cockatoos.
The symbolic “die-in” action was to urge the WA Government to support stronger federal nature laws and the creation of a national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reforms they’ve previously opposed.
Event organiser Paddy Cullen said the action comes at a crucial moment, with a new State Environment Minister in place.
“This is an opportunity to reset this policy for the entire country, rather than blocking it,” Mr Cullen said.
He warned that Australia faces some of the highest rates of forest clearing in the world, and WA’s opposition to past reforms has been a major barrier.
“The Federal Labor Government has said it will revisit the introduction of new nature legislation, and this time we need the WA government onside,” he said. “We are at a crossroads; not just for the black cockatoos, but for our own future.”
Mr Cullen said WA’s own Environmental Protection Authority had failed to prevent widespread habitat destruction and rising emissions, and that without stronger national laws, black cockatoos could vanish within decades.
The call for action follows the loss of over 100,000 hectares of vegetation during the worst drought and heatwave in WA’s recorded history. Wildlife centres have since picked up scores of sick and starving birds.
“Low seed production is still impacting survival. Meanwhile, jarrah forests and banksia woodlands continue to be cleared for mining and housing,” Mr Cullen said.
A recent report by the Australian National University and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network found native plant numbers had dropped by 64 percent and birds by 53 percent in WA between 2000 and 2021, giving the state the worst environmental rating in the country.
“Premier Cook can choose to save the black cockatoos or drive them to extinction,” Mr Cullen said. “But it starts with supporting a Federal EPA to protect their habitat and their climate.”
