The botched implementation and repeal of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (ACH) Act was an embarrassing failure for the Cook Labor Government that should have resulted in some navel gazing about the process and where it all went wrong.
Yet, it appears that very little has been learnt as the government again forges ahead with plans which will have significant social and economic consequences with seemingly little regard for the concerns of those most affected.
This time it's fishers raising the alarm about the process.
Plans for the new South Coast Marine Park, proposed to be established from Bremer Bay to the South Australian coastline, were supposed to be released for public comment in December.
Environment Minister Reece Whitby pushed that to February 2024 with little explanation.
It's fair to say, it's likely to be another headache for a government that stakeholders believe is unwilling to listen or consult in good faith and that believes it knows better than industry and community groups.
The establishment of the South Coast Marine Park is being carried out in parallel to plans to extend the Marmion Marine Park, which runs from Trigg Point up to Two Rocks in Perth.
While the plans for Marmion are yet to be released, there is genuine concern that the way the government is managing the extension - specifically the addition of more sanctuary zones - will create much the same backlash as the ACH Act debacle.
There is widespread support among stakeholders for the conservation of these marine habitats.
The preservation of these coastlines is in the interest of all Western Australians.
But it can't be a blunt instrument approach that is based on ideology rather than science.
The Marmion Marine Park has been used by tens of thousands of fishers for generations.
Flagged changes to the off-limit sanctuary zones within the extended marine park are creating much concern among commercial and recreational fishers.
There is also increasing angst about the way the government is managing the planning and consultation process and the lack of rationale for some of the changes.
Peak fishing bodies, such as the Western Rock Lobster Council, Recfishwest and the WA Fishing Industry Council are raising the red flag about the government's seeming disinterest to properly engage or listen to their experience and concerns.
They believe this process is a box-ticking exercise for a pre-determined outcome that will see sanctuary zones inside the Marmion Marine Park expanded unnecessarily so that fishing, recreational and commercial, is further restricted along this coastline.
The social and economic impacts will be significant.
Conflating these issues is the fact the process is being spearheaded by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as joint planning partner.
The agencies and the interests they represent was never going to be a seamless collaboration.
But with the DBCA at the helm of the process, primary industry groups are feeling disempowered - to say the least.
The key bodies advocating for fisheries mentioned above are rightly angry about the process, claiming they have been misrepresented, disrespected and ignored by the agency to date.
Of particular concern, is their belief the DBCA is working towards predetermined targets for total sanctuary zone areas within a marine park, with stakeholder participants reporting DBCA has made repeated references to international targets of 30 per cent.
Plans to increase the sanctuary zones are seemingly being made without due diligence and no evidence or justification for where they are located.
If these sanctuary zones in the Marmion Marine Park go above and beyond what is required, it will come at a heavy and seemingly unjustified cost that could have unintended consequences.
With both plans now likely to be released early next year, let's hope this early consultation process is not just the smokescreen industry fears it is.
