A MUNSTER property owner who illegally cleared land around a wetland has been let off with a slap on the wrist.

The state’s environment watchdog says it issued a formal letter of warning to the West Churchill Avenue resident after finding 0.28 hectares of native vegetation had been cleared from the banks of a wetland east of Lake Coogee.

Although the clearing was a breach of the Environmental Protection Act, the department found the vegetation had been in poor condition and the material’s removal didn’t affect the wetland. It found the clearing occurred because the owner had removed rubbish and scrap metal from the site in November 2014. The Herald understands rubbish has accumulated at the site for years.

The department said it provided the owner with advice on how to apply to clear native vegetation.

by STEVE GRANT