The Western Australian government must comply with strict new rules after failing to execute plans to protect endangered finches in the state's north.
A federal investigation has found the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) must improve the quality of Gouldian finch breeding habitat within a conservation zone near Kununurra in the Kimberley.
The 11,470-hectare conservation zone surrounds land cleared for agricultural development as part of the Weaber Plain Development Project, known as the Goomig Project.
The project received Commonwealth environmental approval in 2011 and is managed by DPIRD.
Chinese-backed agribusiness company Kimberley Agricultural Investment (KAI) holds tenure of the farmlands, except for two lots owned by Kununurra's main native title organisation, MG Corporation.
A spokesperson for the National Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said its investigation found DPIRD and KAI had breached conditions of the project's approval.
"The breaches included failures to implement approved plans to protect the Gouldian finch, manage buffer areas and protect aquatic fauna," the spokesperson said.
According to the EPA website, DPIRD also did not publish annual compliance reports on time or publish approved management plans on its own website.
The EPA altered conditions for the project's approval and insisted DPIRD provide a revised Gouldian finch conservation plan to the federal environment minister.
Within the buffer zone, DPIRD must show improvements in the quality of Gouldian finch breeding habitat and wet season foraging habitat.
In a statement, a DPIRD spokesperson said the department welcomed the national watchdog's ruling.
"The variations allow for a more flexible approach to implement more consistent approval conditions and associated management plans to support measures to protect the Gouldian finch," the spokesperson said.
"These variations are the result of DPIRD feedback to streamline the reporting and compliance process."
Nest boxes show no birds
No Gouldian finches were recorded in nest boxes within the buffer zone over the last four years, according to DPIRD's latest compliance report from 2023/24.
A separate count of Gouldian finches is done by charity Save the Gouldian Fund at Wyndham, 100km north-west of Kununurra.
Chief executive Gary Fitt said the group counted an average of 680 Gouldians over five days, which was a small increase on last year's count of around 500.
"The big factor this year was the proportion of juvenile birds in the count," he said.
"It was 78 per cent juveniles, which is the highest proportion of young birds we've ever counted.
"To me, that reflects that it must have been a very good breeding season for the Gouldians this year."
He said high rainfall in January and February would have contributed to the increase, helping produce the grass seeds Gouldians need to feed their young.
Mr Fitt said he did not believe the lack of Gouldians recorded in the Goomig buffer zone near Kununurra to be indicative of a deep-rooted problem.
"I'm not concerned they're not seeing birds in a tiny little conservation area," he said.
"There are places around Kununurra where hundreds of Gouldians are being seen right now.
"I have spoken with the WA government and talked about perhaps better ways that surveys could be done in that area, but we're not involved in that."
Late-season wildfires pose threat
As part of the charity's counting of the bird, it has volunteers stationed at the area's waterholes to tally the finches they see drinking and bathing over five successive mornings.
Mr Fitt said fluctuating finch numbers were "quite normal" and reflected the availability of food, with the biggest threat to Gouldians the ongoing loss of nest hollows in trees due to arson in the late dry season.
"Over the last 10 to 15 years, we've seen a lot of our study area burnt late in the dry season, and that's really unfortunate," he said.
"If that sort of regime goes on year after year, the birds are going to struggle to recover overall."
