A King Island man has been fined $90,000 for bulldozing native vegetation, including threatened native forest and a wetland, without any approvals.
Alan Robert Smith faced nine charges in the King Island Magistrates Court under the Forest Practices Act earlier this month.
They included unauthorised clearing of trees, including the King Island Scrub complex, clearance and conversion of threatened native vegetation communities and failing to comply with a notice to cease forest practices.
The Forest Practices Authority (FPA) launched an “extensive and complex” investigation into the property after discovering the alleged illegal clearing.
Acting Chief Forest Practices Officer Willem Mulder said Smith continued clearing activities despite the FPA issuing a formal request to stop the operations.
“The forest practices system provides a process for identifying and considering environmental and other sensitive values through a certified forest practices plan,” he said.
“Clearance and conversion of threatened native vegetation communities is not normally permitted under the system.”
“This unlawful land clearing would have been avoided if the forest practices process had been followed.”
