Yakka Munga station in land clearing row

The Chinese owners of a Kimberley cattle station are appealing against a conservation notice after the entity allegedly cleared 120ha of native vegetation without required authorisation.

Last Thursday, Shanghai Zenith Investment Holdings lodged its appeal against the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s decision that the land clearing at Yakka Munga Station was unlawful.

Shanghai Zenith, the Australian subsidiary of Shanghai CRED, was notified on June 20 that DWER had determined the land clearing at the pastoral lease, based south of Derby, “was unauthorised”.

In a letter to Shanghai Zenith, DWER chief executive Mike Rowe said satellite imagery from May 21 to June 5 showed native vegetation had been cleared on the station.

Shanghai Zenith also allegedly did not seek permission from the traditional owners, the Nyikina people, who then blocked the entrance to Yakka Munga last month to stop contractors from entering in protest of the clearing.

Earlier this month, WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan said DWER had ordered Shanghai Zenith to stop all clearing works. DWER investigations are continuing.