00:03More than two decades ago, Phil Stanley started to notice something strange.
00:09You can see one, two, three, four over there, more in here.
00:13Salmon gums on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie Boulder, dying.
00:18That's exactly what occurs when a plant's under severe stress.
00:21He has been pushing mining companies, politicians and government departments to investigate the cause for years.
00:28I'm seeing resistance to find out what's causing it from people who should know, should be doing the right thing.
00:36The gums are part of the Great Western Woodlands.
00:39Because this is a hyper diverse region and across the Great Western Woodlands you will have many more species that
00:45occur, for example in the whole of the British Isles.
00:47A leading botanist says regulatory bodies and mining companies should be doing more to protect this unique forest.
00:55These are very delicate systems that are beautifully adapted to the rigidity and strictures of living in a desert, but
01:06it's a forest, but they are very unaccustomed and maladapted to foreign substances.
01:13He agrees the tree deaths should be investigated.
01:16It's an area of global interest and it's a unique asset for all future generations.
01:24Our last wilderness is worth protecting.
01:26A spokesperson for the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attraction says it is aware of some salmon gums dying in
01:34the area, but estimates that number to be fewer than 100.
01:38A figure Mr Stanley refutes.
01:40But the Department says it is unlikely that dying salmon gums indicate a wider threat to the survival of the
01:47woodland.
01:48What do we do? Sit back and watch it die? Or do we try and find out what's causing it?
01:54A call for protection of an ecological wonder.
01:57A large Marshala in Canada and Attraction and Attraction is a largest
02:01A large Marshala in particular.
02:01A large Marshala iniquity.
02:01A large Marshala in Guangdong as a large Marshala in the area.
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