PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has recommended that the state Parliament enforce a protected area for the Howard sand plains, claiming that mining activities and rural developments were posing a significant risk to biodiversity in the region.

In a report tabled to Parliament earlier this week, the EPA noted that the superficial sand deposits of the Howard sand plains had been removed at an average rate of about 300 000 t/y over the last 13 years.

Projected increases in the rate of extraction indicated that the sand resource, and the associated biodiversity, would be extinguished by 2036.

EPA chairperson Bill Freeland said on Friday that the report and recommendations were prepared because the EPA was concerned that unless something was done soon, there was a high probability of a gradual decline and ultimate extinction of the threatened biodiversity of the sand plains.

“Major threats to the sand plains' biodiversity are rural land uses and development, abstraction of ground water, and habitat removal and hydrological impacts associated with mining of extractive minerals,” Freeland said.

“It is anticipated that without intervention sand mining will eliminate the Howard sand plains and its biodiversity within the next 15 years.”

He added that the report highlighted the absence of effective ways to restore biodiversity following impacts of sand mining and recommended the adoption of a protected area to preserve the biodiversity of the sand plains.

The Howard sand plains were home to the world's most species-rich community of bladderworts, a small carnivorous plant, as well as three threatened plant species and one threatened animal species.

The report was given to the Minister for the Environment in October this year and was tabled in the Legislative Assembly during the December sittings.

The Minister had six months to prepare his response to the EPA.